Yankees dig for prospects, end up in China
by Geep on Monday, June 18th, 2007 at 07:11pm
Again the Yankees are first. The Yankees became the first MLB organization to sign Chinese players with the approval of their government’s baseball asscociation. Say what you want about the Yankees, but George Steinbrenner risks a larger percentage of his personal wealth than any other owner. Do you think David Glass or Carl Pohland or Peter Angelos will pay for a scout to travel to China? Their scouts are lucky to get airfare to Little Rock.
The New York Yankees signed a pair of Chinese players, saying Monday they were the first players from China signed by major league teams with the approval of the country’s baseball association.The Mariners signed Chinese pitcher Wang Chao in 2002 without the blessing of the Chinese baseball association.
Kai Liu, a 19-year-old left-handed pitcher, and Zhenwang Zhang, a 19-year-old catcher, are to be introduced at a Yankee Stadium news conference on July 6 and then will report to the team’s minor league complex in Tampa, Fla.
Liu has played for Guangdong Province in China’s six-team league and has been chosen for the national team. Zhang played for the Tianjin Lions, winning league titles in 2002, 2005 and 2006, and appeared in one game at last year’s World Baseball Classic but did not have any at-bats.
“We have scouts worldwide and we have seen both players in the past,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
Yankees executives visited China in January and reached a working agreement with the Chinese Baseball Association.
I cannot wait to start rocking my Zhang jersey.