Will Wang Decision Come Back to Bite Yanks?
By Jed Weisberger ~ December 14th, 2009. Filed under: Jed Weisberger.
So the Yankees did as expected and did not tender a contract to Chien-Ming Wang.
Reports tell you that a few American League and maybe a couple more National League teams may take a shot at the Taiwanese hurler who probably won’t pitch until May or June at the earliest.
Wang, of course, after winning 19 games for the Yankees in both 2006 and 2007, has been bitten hard by the injury bug. First there was that foot situation sustained running the bases in Houston in 2007, which ended his season at 8-2.
Many feel, with the strength of his legs compromised, the shoulder injury that derailed him after that 1-6 start in 2009, certainly grew out of the original situation.
I got to know Wang fairly well during his time in Trenton in 2003-04, pitching on clubs that hardly resembled the Thunder championship teams of a few years later. It was fun to see what he developed into, one of the most consistent sinkerballers in the American League.
Peter Abraham, who used to write in the Westchester suburbs, and made the LoHud blog what it was before Chad Jennings ably succeeded him moving in from The Scranton Times, now writes for the Boston Globe.
Given Peter penned a Wang biography with Sam Borden and Mark Feinsand, I certainly agree with his opinion, as written in the Globe yesterday, that Wang is one of the most intriguing newly-minted free-agents out there and the rival Red Sox should certainly take a look.
Certainly Wang’s agent would want some guaranteed money for his client and feel he is worth more than a minor-major split contract. However, in these days of skimpy pitching depth, some team will no doubt do what the Yankees didn’t and give Wang some guaranteed money and tell him it’s a down payment on getting healthy.
I could see Wang easily ending up with either the Red Sox or Dodgers. Boston because it has done this before. Los Angeles because Wang was always one of former manager Joe Torre’s favorites in The Bronx.
Boston’s reclamation product of all time has to be knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have given or traded away more All-Stars over the past 15 years than anyone.
But, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s hard to believe the Pirates were once good, and Wakefield was good with them, in postseason play no less. He started as a position player, then was put in the mound with his knuckler, with which he 8-1 2.15 with four complete games in 1992. He threw for a National League East title team for manager Jim Leyland.
Injuries and ineffectiveness derailed him in 1993, when he went 6-11, 5.61, and he wouldn’t see the majors again until 1995, when, with the knuckler in gear, he went 16-9, 2.95. Counting that season, he has been an innings-eater for the BoSox, going 175-150 in 15 campaigns.
The Sox waited a bit for Wakefield. They would as well for Wang.
And the Dodgers! Torre would take him by the hand.
Wang has some good times left. I understand the Yankees’ reasoning and the decision. This, however, could come back to bite them.
Don’t Count Out Eric Duncan
Remember when Jersey Guy Eric Duncan was slotted to be the next Yankees ball-bashing infielder? A great kid, Eric never developed, was released in November and signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta last week.
At 25, he might still find the magic in the Atlanta system.
