Sunday, March 8, 2009

HANSHIN SIGNS TAIWANESE PITCHER

The Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Central League have signed 20-year-old right-handed pitcher Cheng Kai-wen to a one-year contract for a $100,000 salary plus a $200,000 signing bonus. Although he stands only 5’9” and weighs 170 pounds, Cheng can reportedly hit 94 MPH on the radar gun and has a number of secondary pitches.


Cheng has made a number of appearances for Taiwan’s National Team, including two outings in last summer’s Beijing Olympics. He pitched two scoreless innings against The Netherlands, but got clobbered in a relief appearance against Japan. A student at Taiwan’s Chinese Cultural University, Cheng was on the country’s roster for this season’s World Baseball Classic, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings in a 9-0 pounding at the hands of South Korea on Friday at the Tokyo Dome.

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