Li Zhang

Li Zhang (張力)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 187 lb.

• School Shanghai Institute of Physical Education

• Born February 3, 1980 in Shanghai China

Li Zhang has been with the Chinese national team from 2003 through 2007. His best pitch is a forkball. Zhang pitches for the Shanghai Eagles in the China Baseball League.

Zhang drew some interest from MLB scouts when he was a teenager but an arm injury robbed him of a lot of velocity (his fastball was reduced from 88 to 82 mph). He played for China in the 2003 Baseball World Cup and was their top hurler, going 0-2 with a 2.41 ERA when no other pitcher on the staff had an ERA under 6.

Zhang pitched for China in the 2005 Asian Championship. He was China's top pitcher in the 2005 Baseball World Cup; in 5 1/3 relief innings, he allowed one run (unearned) and struck out nine. He closed out 3 of the 4 games he appeared in. In the 2006 World Baseball Classic, he pitched one game, allowing 6 hits and 3 runs in 3 innings of relief and struck out four against South Korea. He had the lowest WHIP of the four hurlers the team used in the game. During 2006 Haarlem Baseball Week, he allowed 8 hits and 4 runs in 2 2/3 IP. Li pitched in the 2006 Konami Cup and 2006 Asian Games.

In the 2007 Arizona Fall League, Zhang allowed 2 runs in 2 innings for China. He gave up just one hit but walked three and hit two batters. In the 2008 Olympics, Zhang allowed three runs in one inning; he walked two and threw a wild pitch. Li was on China's roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic but did not pitch in the Classic.

Sources

• Wiki Baseball (in Chinese)
• 2007 AFL stats for Team China
• Defunct IBAF site
• Haarlem Baseball Week
• 2008 Olympics