The Yankees have made history by becoming the first Major League
Baseball (MLB) team to sign players from the Chinese Baseball
Association.
The New York-based franchise announced Monday that they had made
a double swoop for left-handed pitcher Liu Kai and catcher Zhang
Zhenwang.
"We believe that this is simply the start of a long-term
commitment to helping the development of baseball in China," said
Yankees' general manager Brian Cashman.
Liu Kai, 19, from Guangdong Province, is already a national team
member while Zhang Zhenwang, aged 19 from Tianjin, helped the Tianjin Lions to take the
national championships three times in five years. He also joined
the Chinese team at the 2006 World Baseball Classic in Japan.
In January, the Yankees visited Beijing and set up a working
relationship with the Chinese Baseball Association in an attempt to
make the profile of the sport rise in China.
The Yankees will allow Chinese teams and officials to enjoy
their training facilities in New York and at Legends Field in
Tampa, Fla., whilst setting up an exchange program for coaches and
trainers.
Both players will be formally introduced to the press and fans
at a press conference at Yankee Stadium on July 6. They will then
report to the Yankees' developmental complex in Tampa.
(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2007)