Washington Nationals pitcher and “Pride of Taiwan” Wang Chien-ming (王建民) on Monday night admitted he had a months-long extramarital affair while he was recovering from a shoulder injury in 2009.
“I sincerely apologize to the fans who have been supporting me,” Wang told a press conference in Viera, Florida. “I’m sorry I set a bad example and I let you down.”
Fans were shocked to hear the confession from their baseball hero, a man of few words known for his image as a family man. That positive image has also made him one of the most-wanted spokespersons for local businesses, from a laptop computer manufacturer to a blood bank.
Photo: Lu Chun-wei, Taipei Times
Haltingly reading from a statement, Wang said the relationship started after he completed surgery on his right shoulder three years ago.
“After the operation in 2009, I did not know if my career as a professional baseball player was over,” Wang said. “Because of the long rehabilitation process, I was depressed and felt helpless and hopeless every day. I lost balance between my physical and psychological life. I had an extramarital affair at a low point in my life.”
Wang said the relationship lasted about eight months and that he decided to terminate it because he could no longer live with the “strong sense of guilt.”
Even after he ended the affair, the woman continued to seek every means possible to resume the relationship and even threatened to expose the affair to the media.
“I really do not want to hurt this lady,” Wang said. “But weighing on the situation, the people I should not hurt are my family.”
Wang said he could not describe how sorry he was for the harm he had caused his wife and family as a result of a momentary weakness and that he was willing to pay the price for his action.
He said he felt even more ashamed after his wife and family chose to forgive him.
“I cannot let my family go through the suffering again,” Wang said. “I sincerely ask our friends in the media not to ask them any more questions. They are innocent and have been forced to bear such pressure.”
Asked how Wang’s spouse, Wu Chia-ling (吳嘉姈), reacted when she learned of the affair, Wang’s agent, Alan Chang (張嘉元), said she was devastated at first, but had chosen to forgive her husband to preserve their family, adding that they would work together to maintain the family and move on.
Media have identified the woman with whom Wang had an affair as a Taiwanese American known as “Cyndi.”
In an interview with the Chinese-language Next Magazine, she said she did not know Wang was a Major League Baseball pitcher, nor did she know he was married.
Asked if the Nationals knew about the affair, Wang said the team only asked him to confront the matter honestly and said would not affect his career with the team.
Wang made his major league debut for the New York Yankees in 2005 and went on to win 19 starts in both the 2006 and 2007 seasons. He was at one point the highest-paid Taiwanese player in the major leagues.
He has been with the Washington Nationals organization since 2010, but he did not make his return to the majors until last year.
He is currently on the 15-day disabled list.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS