Boston Red Sox Sign 16 Year Old Tibetan Catcher Justin Qiang
By David Hill
Baseball is truly becoming a global sport, as the quest for talent has expanded all over the world. The Boston Red Sox have added to the reach of the game, signing 16 year old catcher Justin Qiang, the first baseball player to be signed out of Tibet.
When one thinks of Tibet, baseball is not what comes to mind. Instead, images of the Dalai Lama, treacherous mountains such as Mt. Everest, and their struggles for independence come to mind. A country high above sea level, and with a great deal of cold and snow, it would not seem to be a hotbed for baseball.
However, as major league franchises look for talent throughout the world, they will travel to all corners of the globe. These journeys led to such far off places as Tibet, as teams looked for the next potential star. That quest has led to the Boston Red Sox signing 16 year old catcher Justin Qiang, the first player from Tibet to sign with a major league franchise.
Qiang, whose full name is Qiang Ba Ren Zeng, has actually been on the Red Sox radar for some time. He was initially an infielder, but converted to catcher by the time Boston began to officially scout him. That quick transition to catcher was one of the determining factors for the Red Sox to ink the 16 year old to a $10,000 signing bonus.
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There were also ties to the Red Sox which may have helped in landing the prospect. Qiang was part of an academy in Nanking, China, run by former farmhand Ray Chang. He also played in several international tournaments with the Chinese squad, having an opportunity to play against some of the better players in his age group.
At this point, the Red Sox are planning on sending Qiang to their instructional league in Florida next month. It will be a great opportunity for him to take that next step forward in his baseball journey, getting more coaching before his career begins in earnest. It will certainly be interesting to see how Qiang pans out, and if his successes lead to an influx of people playing baseball in the region.
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Justin Qiang is set to make his mark as a trailblazer, the first Tibetan to sign with a major league franchise. The Boston Red Sox may have found a new place to discover young talent to develop.