Zhanpeng Wang
From BR Bullpen
Zhanpeng Wang (王占鵬)
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 10", Weight 207 lb.
Zhanpeng Wang was the top pitcher from China from several years. His fastball peaked just under 84 mph. Wang pitched for China in the 1995 Asian Championship as a teenager. In the 1997 Asian Championship, he was named the best left-handed pitcher.
He was the star of China's first Baseball World Cup appearance, going 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA in the 1998 Baseball World Cup. He fanned 27 in 17 1/3 innings while allowing only 9 hits and one walk. He got wins against Spain and South Africa; China lost their other five games. He finished 4th in the Cup in strikeouts behind an elite trio of Koji Uehara, Jose Contreras and Byung-hyun Kim. He also tied for the most wins, even with Contreras, Jose Ibar, Pedro Luis Lazo, Jurriaan Lobbezoo, Uehara and 9 others. He struck out 18 against Spain, the best game of the tournament by a pitcher. He failed to make the All-Tournament team as Lobbezoo was picked as the best southpaw.
Wang was named the best left-handed pitcher in the 1999 Asian Championship. He went to spring training with a Japanese team in 2000 but retired a year later to go into coaching, only 25 years old. The China Baseball League had not yet formed so Wang never pitched as a pro.
He coached for China in the 2003 Asian Championship, presumably being one of the youngest coaches in the event if not the youngest.
[edit] Sources
- Defunct IBAF site
- Chinese Wiki Baseball
