BASEBALL/Orioles congratulate Chen Wei-yin on baseball retirement

Los Angeles, Feb. 27 (CNA) Major League Baseball's (MLB) Baltimore Orioles on Thursday congratulated former Taiwanese starter Chen Wei-yin (陳偉殷) on his upcoming retirement on March 16.

"The Orioles congratulate Wei-Yin Chen on his outstanding career on both sides of the Pacific," the Orioles' public relations director Jackie Harig told CNA.

"He was the first Taiwanese player in team history and played a key role in the Orioles reaching the post-season in 2012 and 2014."

"A constant in the Orioles rotation, he had the lowest ERA and the starts and innings pitched of any Orioles starter during his four seasons here. We wish him well in his retirement," Harig added.

The Orioles made the statement after the 39-year-old lefty's Facebook post on Wednesday announcing that he had decided to retire from professional baseball.

Chen said he had decided to step down from his 20-year career after realizing he could no longer perform at a high level.

"As a professional player, pain and fatigue have never been the hardest things to deal with. The real challenge is honestly facing up to no longer being at one's peak," Chen wrote.

"After countless internal struggles, I told my wife: 'My body has reached its limit. I think it's time for me to retire.'"

The Taiwanese athlete pitched for the Orioles between 2012 and 2016.

He made his MLB debut with the team on April 10, 2012, as a starter against the New York Yankees, making him the seventh Taiwanese player to play in MLB.

He played four seasons with the team, before signing a five-year contract worth US$80 million with the Miami Marlins in 2016, the largest guaranteed contract for a pitcher in Marlins franchise history.

Before his MLB career, Chen got his professional start in Japan after signing with the Nagoya-based Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2003.

He made his official professional debut in 2005 with the Dragons.

Chen was also the first Taiwan-born player to sign with a United States major league team from the NPB.

The Dragons announced that Chen will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on March 16 to mark his retirement inside the team's home stadium, Vantelin Dome, before an exhibition game leading into the upcoming NPB season.