Taiwan's struggling pitcher Chien-Ming Wang said on Monday he hoped to resurrect his Major League Baseball career after being released by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Wang became a free agent in October after a poor run of form saw him pitch just 1.2 innings in consecutive outings against the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, despite making three strong starts for the Canadian team.
Since then, there have been reports that the 33-year-old, formerly a New York Yankee ace, might head to the Japanese or Taiwan leagues.
But in a press conference shortly after his return to Taipei, Wang made it clear that he hoped to make a comeback in the sport's most prestigious league.
"Since I've stayed in the United States for a couple of years, I hope I can become a solid start again in the MLB following injuries," he said.
The right-hander said he would give himself "up to two years" to achieve his goal, as he spoke in front of a huge poster featuring the Chinese characters "Chien Chih" which mean perseverance in Mandarin.
Asked about a training programme he is set to undergo next spring, Wang said he needed to beef up his physical strength if he is to pitch longer innings.
Wang won 55 games over five years with the New York Yankees from 2005 before injuries disrupted his career.
He missed the 2010 season while recovering from shoulder surgery and pitched for the Washington Nationals for two years, going 6-6 with a 4.94 earned run average in 21 games, until becoming a free agent.
Two strong outings for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic in March helped him secure a minor league deal with the Yankees, which he opted out of to sign with the Blue Jays in June.
Source: DSG
