Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) Taiwanese New York Yankees pitcher Chien-ming Wang returned to Taiwan Tuesday for vacation and said he will approach the next baseball season with the same pitch-by-pitch, game-by-game mentality.
The right-hander, who finished with a 19-7 record in his third Major League season, also expressed disappointment over the departure of former Yankees manager Joe Torre but said he is ready to work with new manager Joe Girardi.
Wang will take time off and enjoy some time with his family in his hometown of Tainan in southern Taiwan before resuming light individual training to prepare for next season.
His most unforgettable game of the year, Wang said, was an Aug. 8 game versus the Toronto Blue Jays in Canada, in which he gave up eight runs in only 2.2 innings, his worst outing of the season.
Wang's return has become one of the most anticipated local sporting events of November since 2005 and organizer Nike Taiwan issued more than 250 media credentials for Tuesday's one-hour press conference.
Wang said Torre has molded the Yankees into a competitive team. He also thanked Torre, who left New York to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers, for trusting him during the last three years.
He said he was disappointed with his performances in the division playoffs in dropping two decisions to the Cleveland Indians but that he had put those games behind him. In both games, Wang's sinker -- his best weapon -- failed to contain the hitters and the Yankees were eliminated by the Indians 3-1.
The 27-year-old finished 8-5 in 2005 and 19-6 in 2006.