Yanks first to sign Chinese players

by John Amato on Jun 18, 2007 4:55 PM EDT in News Comment 31 comments

The Yankees have become the first Major League team to sign players from the People's Republic of China, as their foray into the Far East begins to pay dividends.

The Yankees announced Monday that they signed two players -- left-handed pitcher Kai Liu and catcher Zhenwang Zhang -- to Minor League contracts, with approval from the Chinese Baseball Association.

I haven't seen anything about the players yet, but as we've seen so far, foreign players can compete in the Majors...

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the thing about signing chinese players

is that an hour later you need to sign more.

by long time listener on Jun 18, 2007 5:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wacky!

by AKJoe on Jun 18, 2007 5:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

when i first saw this

i saw it on the ticker on espn and thought that we had traded kei igawa. instead we signed another lefty whose name is probably pronounced the same.

"It's great to be young and a Yankee"

by stillmonster on Jun 18, 2007 6:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What? Foreign players cannot compete?

Matsui
Hernandez
Abreu
Wang
Ichiro
Wasn't Graham LLoyd from Austrailia?

Let's see, maybe the Latin American, Canadian, Japanese players do not count as foreign?

What we have learned is that special talents occur in any population.

When we talked about GM's the Cashman critics said we should spend more on developmental leagues and non draft players. Well this is it. I have no idea if this will pau off, but I am sure it is worth trying.

Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical(Yogi)

by Cbeck3 on Jun 18, 2007 10:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think John said

they can compete.

by docgonzo on Jun 18, 2007 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes I did

And it's not just in the Asian market....Look around at the Latino players in the Majors...

by John Amato on Jun 18, 2007 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

my fault, sorry,

we agree then. It's something they should try til it works or they know it won't.

Sooner or later it will work.

Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical(Yogi)

by Cbeck3 on Jun 18, 2007 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Getting 'em young is the key

There's almost no developmental system in China, so the younger, the better.

River Ave. Blues
Yanks and prospects

by PinstripePowerhouse on Jun 19, 2007 6:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey PP

When did Wang join the Yankees system?

How old was he?

Was he a good pitch when he was in Taiwan?

Thanks!

by CharlieBrown on Jun 19, 2007 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

2000

They signed him as an international free agent, and they had plenty of competition. So I guess he was 19 when he signed.

I'm not sure of his details while pitching in Taiwan, though I'm sure he was really freakin' good. It's like a highly-touted high school pitcher nowadays -- you're not going to get a $1 million bonus if you're not out of this world.

River Ave. Blues
Yanks and prospects

by PinstripePowerhouse on Jun 19, 2007 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cool....thanks!

Let's see if the new Chinese players would develop into useful players in three/four years time.

by CharlieBrown on Jun 19, 2007 9:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm...

I'm pulling for them.

I was born in Hong Hong, now living in England, so it's extra special to see Wang doing well. Would be great to see a couple of the new Chinese kids to do well as well.

by CharlieBrown on Jun 19, 2007 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hong Hong must be a fun place

Pride, Power, Wildcard?

by ReLaunch on Jun 19, 2007 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah....

Only lived there when it was still part of British Colonies, left in 1993, and been in England ever since.

I probably wouldn't go back and live there now, as I'm used to the British way of life, and all my friends are here. However, I'd still recommend Hong Kong as a great holiday destination. If any of you are taking vacations in the Far East or Australia, it'd be a good idea to visit Hong Kong for two to three days.

by CharlieBrown on Jun 19, 2007 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oooooppppss

LMAO!

Missed that totally!

Damn you! :)

by CharlieBrown on Jun 19, 2007 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How did

you become a baseball/yankee fan?

Pride, Power, Wildcard?

by ReLaunch on Jun 19, 2007 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

tell me about it

I am on a study abroad program in australia. Cricket is terrible, they use flat bats and bounce the ball. although rugby union is petty damn good

I didn't know a captain could be as bad as Varitek

by yankeechaser on Jun 19, 2007 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This February,

I was at a Cricket match that was a huge game for them (playoffs). I have never been that bored in my life.

Pride, Power, Wildcard?

by ReLaunch on Jun 19, 2007 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My girlfriend's dad is obsessed with Cricket

So I hear about it all the time.

Gives me some quality nap time, though.

River Ave. Blues
Yanks and prospects

by PinstripePowerhouse on Jun 19, 2007 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How I got to be a baseball fan....

No, no cricket. :) A `test match' cricket can last five days to produce a draw?!? Ha ha! No thanks! `One day cricket' is a bit better, but not much! I do follow football (soccer!), MotoGP (motorcycles), NBA and PBA (yes, professional bowling!). Also watch a bit of rugby when England is playing. Used to follow NASCAR a bit too. Anyways......

I first `discovered' baseball in 1997, when Big Mac and Sosa were making all the noise during the HR chase. I think they even made it on the sports news over here.

However, I only really started watching the game properly from 2000, the year of the subway series. I was taking a year off from studying at the time, and got a job in a tenpin-bowling centre. Working in service/leisure industry means finishing work late, usually around mid-night, which is about 7pm ET. For those who are used to doing late shifts, you'd know that it's not easy to finish work, `switch off' and go to bed, so I would watch lots of late night tv. I wouldn't call it as far as insomniac, but it's there or thereabout.

We have five free network TV stations here, and one of them (Channel Five) dedicates their late night schedules to sports, such as NBA, NHL, NFL, NASCAR, golf and of course MLB. We get to see two games a week (Sundays and Wednesdays - ESPN feed), and I guess it was due to my insomniac that I got into baseball.

I honestly couldn't remember how I became a Yankees fan, I wasn't `really' rooting for the Yankees or the Mets during the world series, as I didn't really understand the game then, but I remember I was leaning towards the Yankees, probably because I liked the look of the Yankees logo and uniforms. (stupid reason I know!)

Really started following the Yankees in 2001, fell in love with Jeter, Mo, Clemens, Pettitte, Paul O'Neill, Tino, Bernie etc. Was certain that the Yankees were going to win it all after 911, but it wasn't to be.

Recent years I have been subscribing to mlb.tv from mlb.com, and for fewer than US$120 per year, I get to watch ANY games I want, live as well as archive.

Also started playing fantasy baseball a few years ago (yahoo, CBS, ESPN etc), and in 2005, my team won a national fantasy league run by UK network TV station Channel Five, beating 3,000+ other teams, and receiving holiday vouchers worth £1,200 (US$ 2,300)!

No doubt, baseball and softball is growing in the UK, but we are still miles behind the other leading European countries, such as the Dutch, the Italians and the German. Also, a lot of people here are really pissed off about baseball and softball being taken off the London 2012 Olympics, cos that would mean even harder to get government funding.

I'd be very likely to visit New York in 2008, cos I'd like to see the Yankees Stadium (and the Shea - yes, shame on me!) before it gets knocked down.

by CharlieBrown on Jun 19, 2007 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We do

a pinstripealley fantasy league. Maybe you can join next year and make it international.

Pride, Power, Wildcard?

by ReLaunch on Jun 19, 2007 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cool!

One of my mates, also a die-hard Yankees fan and fantasy player, is in the US on holiday with his son right now.

They went to the Clemens and the Wang games; they are in Texas at the moment and hopes to see Sosa hits his 600HR tonight. They'll be traveling to the Rockies tomorrow and catch two more Yankees games. Then they are going to Las Vegas to watch Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton boxing, supporting a fellow Brit!

Quite a road trip huh! Hopefully I'll do the same next year.

He's a sports writer for a London newspaper, will let him know about this site when he gets back to the UK.

by CharlieBrown on Jun 19, 2007 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have to disagree

I have been to Shea, and it is a palace compared to the Metrodome where the Twins play. That place is a shit hole. It isn't even ment to have baseball games, it is a football stadium.

The only way I'm going to win a Gold Glove is with a can of spray paint. Reggie Jackson

by yanksfan77 on Jun 19, 2007 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes...

I have heard the Metrodome is a shit hole.

by CharlieBrown on Jun 19, 2007 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You have no idea

The whole roof of the dome is white. I was sitting in the left field bleachers, and there was a home run hit there. You loose the ball once it gets into the roof, I thought I was going to be that guy on ESPN who gets hit in the head with the ball in the stands.

The only way I'm going to win a Gold Glove is with a can of spray paint. Reggie Jackson

by yanksfan77 on Jun 19, 2007 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

Prince Fielder got an inside the park home run a few days ago when the Twins outfielder lost the ball.

by CharlieBrown on Jun 19, 2007 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

To make matters worse, it was built almost on top of LaGuardia. Planes are flying over every 5 minutes, and when they're not, the PA system is jacked up to deafening levels to compensate.

It's truly an assault on all of the senses. The new stadium will have the same noise problem.

by matthaggs on Jun 19, 2007 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wasn't disagreeing

with you. I was just merely adding to the conversation. I have been to a couple of ballparks in my day. And those two are the worst. I am trying to convince my wife to do a ballpark tour with me. Trying to see a game in every ballpark in the states.

The only way I'm going to win a Gold Glove is with a can of spray paint. Reggie Jackson

by yanksfan77 on Jun 19, 2007 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

my friend Monte

is from Chicago, but he has always been a yankee fan because after his first game at age 5 he was in the shop with his dad and allowed to choose any hat that he wanted. He chose a yankee hat because he liked it the best. Sometimes it's these little things that get you started on a team.

I've said that my first game at Yankee stadium was with a school friend at age 7. They gave out those little plastic hats filled with candy and baseball cards, including a Reggie bar. I was really hooked after that.

by Greenfuzz on Jun 19, 2007 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs