Taiwan left-handed pitcher Wang Wei-chung made MLB history March 25 by jumping six levels from the rookie league to the majors under the Rule 5 Draft, the first player in over a century to do so.
“It’s like a dream come true,” the 21-year-old Wang said, after being selected for the Milwaukee Brewers’ 25-man roster set to open the 2014 season.
Wang told press members in mid-February that making the majors was like swimming across the ocean from Taiwan to the U.S. When asked what it was like to finally make it ashore, Wang said he would only believe he was home dry once he had made his first appearance for Milwaukee.
Wang heard the news straight from the horse’s mouth. Following morning practice Brewers manager Ron Roenicke called him aside and informed him of his slot as the long man in the bullpen. Wang said he still could not really believe his good fortune until his teammates congratulated him.
The southpaw also broke another record, becoming the youngest of the 11 ROC players to make the MLB. Pitcher Tsao Chin-hui was 22 years and 53 days on his MLB debut for the Colorado Rockies.
Roenicke said he has full confidence in Wang’s abilities, as the latter has gone in as a starting pitcher and completed two or three innings.
Wang said that the important thing for him now is to keep a level head and avoid messing things up because if he is in any way nervous, he will not be able to throw properly. (SDH)