BASEBALL/Career recap: All-time CPBL home run leader Ngayaw‧Ake'

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) If home runs represent the most electrifying play in baseball, then Ngayaw‧Ake' (林智勝) has arguably been the most thrilling player to watch in the history of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).

With a league-record 304 homers, the Wei Chuan Dragons slugger has cemented his name as a byword for power and skill in Taiwan's national pastime. 

But Ngayaw‧Ake's legacy extends well beyond his prodigious home run total.

The 43-year-old veteran is set to hang up his cleats after a three-game series against the TSG Hawks at Taipei Dome through Sunday, marking the close of a 22-season career with three clubs filled with highs and lows.

● All-time CPBL home run leader Ngayaw‧Ake' to retire in September

League records

Since making his CPBL debut on June 3, 2004, Ngayaw‧Ake' has ranked among the top five in numerous offensive categories.

As of Thursday, he had 1,859 hits (fourth all-time) for 3,157 total bases (second), 1,236 RBIs (second), a .308 career batting average, and 1,359 strikeouts (a league record) over 1,716 games (fifth).

He became the first player in league history to reach 300 home runs on April 16, 2023.

Beyond his bat, Ngayaw‧Ake' has also earned recognition with his glove, being named the shortstop on the CPBL all-pro team (called the "Best Nine" award) six times from 2006 to 2015.

The kid from an Amis village in Taitung County has tied the record for CPBL championships with six titles, won two Taiwan Series MVP awards, and stands alone with 14 postseason home runs.

He is also a 19-time CPBL All-Star, with three Home Run Derby crowns and one All-Star MVP to his name.

Clutch on the international stage

Ngayaw‧Ake's domestic achievements are matched by his big-game heroics for Taiwan on the international stage.

At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, he delivered a walk-off hit in the final against Japan to secure Taiwan's first baseball gold medal at the Games.

To many fans, his most clutch swing came at the 2015 WBSC Premier12 against Cuba, when Taiwan was on the brink of elimination with a 1-2 record in pool play.

In the bottom of the eighth, after going hitless in his first four at-bats, he blasted a three-run homer to left-center following an intentional walk, lifting Taiwan to its second win.

Ngayaw‧Ake' last suited up for the national team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, where Taiwan went 0-3 in group play.

"It's a wrap as it is. I don't ask for a perfect ending," he said after the elimination, adding that the future belonged to younger players.

Overcoming setbacks

Ngayaw‧Ake' has battled adversity throughout his career. He underwent surgery for a bone spur in his second season and still cannot fully straighten his right arm.

His feats on the field were overshadowed at times by reports of his struggle with alcohol, with the issue only resolved as late as 2017.

His biggest setback came on July 17, 2013, when his car collided with a taxi after a game. He required 13 stitches to his head and tore all the ligaments on the outside of his left knee.

Looking back in a video this June, Ngayaw‧Ake' said he could barely remember the accident, which helped him move on.

"At the time, I was a hit after the WBC, so I thought it wouldn't be so bad if I couldn't play anymore," he said with a laugh.

But he returned in 2014 and made history the following year as the first CPBL player to record at least 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases and a .300 batting average in a season, earning league MVP honors.

Long live the home run king

Selected No. 1 overall in the CPBL's first-ever alternative military service draft in 2003, Ngayaw‧Ake' remains the only active player from that class, which he credits to good fortune.

As his farewell series approaches, he says he feels "calm" and plans to "savor each moment on the field."

Dragons manager Ye Jun-zhang (葉君璋) said Ngayaw‧Ake' will appear in all three games but will not start every one.

"It's impossible to start him in all three games; otherwise, he's not going to retire," Ye joked Tuesday.

Friday's game begins at 6:35 p.m., with weekend games scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Tickets are still available.