Taiwanese fans miss injured pitcher Wang

cheap jerseys TAIPEI A chain of injuries suffered by New York cheap nfl jerseys Yankees player Wang Chien ming has thrust a pair of more obscure Taiwan born Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers into the limelight as dejected fans in Taiwan seek someone else to support. cheap jerseys MLB followers on the baseball crazy island needed somewhere to turn after Wang missed much of last season with injuries. wholesale jerseys from china Agents are pushing to get relief pitchers Ni Fu te of the Detroit Tigers and Kuo Hong chih of the Los Angeles Dodgers into the public eye in wholesale jerseys Wang's stead, though some observers say the pair have a way to go yet to fill their compatriot's shoes. wholesale jerseys from china wholesale nfl jerseys from china During the MLB off season, their agents have been seeking more attention for the pair from merchandisers and would be sponsors. They have also spoken to television networks in Taiwan about broadcasting more games. wholesale nfl jerseys from china wholesale jerseys from china "I've heard that fans have become more mature, that they know Wang Chien ming is not the only player," said Alan Chang, director of Taiwan baseball for Octagon, a sports management firm that went to bat for both men this year to seek exposure. wholesale jerseys from china Ni and Kuo both appeared at a fundraiser for victims of a deadly August typhoon in Taiwan. Kuo has landed sponsorships with Nike, the fast food chain Subway and Smart Media International, and jerseys bearing the players' numbers are on sale in sports shops in Taiwan. "All these guys are unique in their own ways," Chang said. "They're all national heroes."Often marginalized by giant economic powerhouse China, which claims sovereignty over self ruled Taiwan, the Asian island looks to its heroes abroad for global recognition. wholesale jerseys from china Before 2008, Wang was a league sensation whose sinker balls had earned him a 54 23 wholesale jerseys career win loss record and a line up of product sponsorships in Taiwan. He remains a household name in his homeland and jerseys sporting his number 40 are a common sight. major leagues have struggled to stand out. One, Tsao Chin hui, has been named as a defendant in a 2009 season game fixing probe involving Taiwan's local baseball league. wholesale jerseys from china cheap jerseys Unlike Wang, a starting pitcher usually responsible for winning or losing games, Ni and Kuo are relief pitchers who come in almost at random when starters do poorly or get tired, making television coverage hard to plan. cheap jerseys "To say that Wang Chien ming will be replaced by these other two because he was wholesale jerseys injured, I wouldn't go that far, but Taiwan's Yankees viewership has been affected," said Kang Cheng nan, a physical education teacher at National Taiwan University. "The other two need to be monitored for longer but if they do well, fans will watch," cheap nfl jerseys he said. Wang has sat out much of the past two seasons and it is unclear how the Yankees will treat him in the future. major leagues, with a respectable earned run average (ERA) of 2.61. Cheap cheap jerseys Jerseys from china "I never expected that after being kicked up to the majors I could get into these games so fast," Ni told a news conference after returning to Taiwan. "I don't think I can improve any further on my actual ball throwing speed." Cheap Jerseys from china cheap jerseys Kuo, 28, has a reputation for staying in play after five wholesale nfl jerseys seasons despite four shoulder operations. He finished the 2009 season for the Dodgers with a solid ERA of 3.0. cheap jerseys Asked about the prospects of a salary raise at a recent cheap nfl jerseys Taiwan media event, Kuo answered with characteristic deadpan humor that "the more the better." Cheap Jerseys free shipping When cheap jerseys either player appears on television, Taiwan fans watch with open minds. Cheap Jerseys free shipping cheap jerseys "I personally think no one can replace Wang and I hope he can come back," said Yang Chi hsiang, a second year university student and softball player in Taipei. "But the other two are Taiwan players, so we'll support them." cheap jerseys.

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