| As an athlete (or at least having been an | | | | designated baseball college, so their |
| athlete in the past) and a sports fan, one of | | | | educational involvement baseball is only |
| the difficult things about finding myself on | | | | extra-curricular. They invited me to play |
| an extended stay in Shanghai, China (setting | | | | with them, and I have participated in some of |
| up sporting goods manufacturing and other | | | | their practices and scrimmages.On a Wednesday |
| business contacts) is the near isolation from | | | | afternoon in May I followed the directions |
| most American sports. Although basketball, | | | | given to me to meet the team at the Shanghai |
| over the past ten or so years, has become | | | | Teacher's University on Guilin Road. The |
| popular among the Chinese people, baseball | | | | field where the team practiced wasn't |
| has yet to find its way into the sports | | | | actually a baseball field. It was a |
| culture here. While at every school or | | | | general-purpose field used mainly for soccer |
| playground it's likely you'll find some kid | | | | and track exercises. I have quickly come to |
| aspiring to become the next Yao Ming, mention | | | | understand that the space limitations in |
| the term "baseball" to most Chinese, even | | | | Shanghai, similar to most parts of China, |
| ones who speak pretty good English, and | | | | make it so that facilities have to double up |
| you'll likely find yourself having to search | | | | on their usage. It was amusing to me to watch |
| through a phrasebook to find the Chinese | | | | as we set up for a scrimmage. The areas where |
| phrase for baseball: "bangqiu" (pronounced | | | | right and center field should be was filled |
| bong chi-o).I had heard from some of the | | | | with a mix of people, including a few of our |
| expatriates living in Shanghai that there was | | | | people playing those positions, and soccer |
| some sort of baseball team playing in the | | | | players who were not in the least interested |
| city, so I did some Google searches to see | | | | in what we were doing, especially since they |
| whether I could find information about the | | | | were fully engaged in their own game. As fly |
| team. I found a few articles on the Internet | | | | balls dropped among them, some of the soccer |
| about the Shanghai Eagles' spring trip to the | | | | players would pick the balls up and toss them |
| U.S. to compete against junior college teams. | | | | back, while others would, with a |
| The game summaries, published by the news | | | | demonstration of irritation, kick them out of |
| people at a few of the U.S. schools against | | | | the way. Fortunately for the soccer players, |
| which the Eagles played, described a team | | | | none of them were hit.Many of the baseball |
| that had decent pitching, but not much | | | | players were not so lucky. A healthy fear of |
| hitting. As can happen with that kind of team | | | | hard baseballs traveling at high speeds seems |
| chemistry, the Shanghai club lost all seven | | | | to be second nature for most Americans, as if |
| of its exhibition games in the U.S.I didn't | | | | we are born with an understanding that if a |
| expect much when I went to watch the team | | | | ball is fouled off into someone's face, it's |
| play, but I was excited to actually see a | | | | going to hurt like heck at best. Although |
| baseball field again, having been in China | | | | most of them didn't understand what I was |
| for awhile, and I wanted to experience the | | | | saying, I attempted many times to tell those |
| baseball environment here. A Chinese friend | | | | watching the action to back away from the |
| of mine hunted down information about where | | | | batter and catcher. During one ten-minute |
| the Shanghai Eagles played and at what time, | | | | interval, I saw three people get hit hard in |
| so I took my wife out for a Friday afternoon | | | | the face or head by baseballs. Throughout the |
| at the baseball field.The old ball game | | | | whole practice there were constant |
| didn't have any peanuts or Cracker-Jacks, or | | | | near-misses as well.On-deck hitters kept with |
| hot dogs, or drinks, or very many spectators. | | | | the Chinese custom for preserving one's place |
| There was a mascot dressed in a chicken suit, | | | | in line by crowding behind the person in |
| and, although we had to search behind some | | | | front. That approach is okay for the local |
| buildings to find it, surprisingly the field | | | | McDonald's. In fact, if you don't push your |
| looked pretty standard. There was a total of | | | | way up in line, you will find yourself |
| probably fifty people in attendance when the | | | | standing in the same place for a long time, |
| game began. People came and went as the game | | | | with person after person jumping in front of |
| progressed. Something that struck me was the | | | | you. However, when the person at the front of |
| feeling that many there were obviously | | | | the line is swinging a bat, a different set |
| hard-core baseball fans, the kind you would | | | | of rules should apply.During the first |
| expect to find catching foul balls at a MLB | | | | practice with the college players, I was |
| park. After quickly being spotted as one of | | | | invited to pitch to the team as they |
| the only white guys in attendance, I was | | | | scrimmaged. It soon became apparent that |
| approached by Dan Washburn, a news consultant | | | | there were various skill levels represented |
| doing a story for Baseball America. During my | | | | at the plate. I was reminded of something I |
| conversation with him, he told me that he met | | | | saw in Little League (where kids are usually |
| some older Chinese men at one of the games | | | | just beginning to learn how to react to balls |
| he'd attended. He mentioned that when he | | | | thrown towards them) when a particularly |
| asked them what brought them out to the | | | | nervous batter accidentally stepped in front |
| event, they told him they played ball when | | | | of the plate, opening up towards the ball so |
| they were much younger, being forced to leave | | | | that it hit him directly in the stomach. |
| the game behind when Mao Zedong did away with | | | | Fortunately I was only throwing about 70 mph, |
| the American influence during the Cultural | | | | so no major damage was done, except that the |
| Revolution. As for the group of boisterous, | | | | player was likely quickly cured of any |
| college-aged enthusiasts, I was told that a | | | | interest he had in the new American sport. |
| group of them attended the local baseball | | | | After that incident the other players warned |
| college, and they were being trained to later | | | | me when I was pitching to someone who was |
| become professionals. (In China, many | | | | new, so I could slow it down enough for them |
| children who express a particular athletic | | | | to take some solid cuts.In a country where |
| skill are guided down a specialized path | | | | the sport hasn't really caught on yet, it |
| devoted largely to the ultimate fulfillment | | | | amazes me that these players respond so well |
| of their athletic capabilities.) There were | | | | to the difficulties of learning baseball. It |
| some younger T-ball aged kids at the game who | | | | is obvious that many of these people, girls |
| were introduced to me by the uncle of one of | | | | and guys alike, have developed a love and |
| the boys. He wanted them to practice English | | | | even a passion for the game. Before their |
| with me and my wife, and later the two boys | | | | season started in June, they practiced on |
| asked me to play catch with them using the | | | | Wednesdays and Saturdays. Most practice |
| homemade-looking, well-used baseball one of | | | | sessions last five hours or longer. During |
| the boys brought to the game.The area we used | | | | the time I have participated with them, I |
| to play catch was the same grass area outside | | | | have seen their skills improve, with arm |
| the stadium used by the professional teams to | | | | strength increasing and fielding and batting |
| warm up their bullpen pitchers. I used the | | | | capabilities doing the same.So when the |
| opportunity to get a feel for how well a | | | | Olympics come to Beijing in 2008, what can we |
| professional pitcher in China throws. The one | | | | expect from the Chinese team? Will it be |
| I saw was probably throwing in the high-70's | | | | somewhat of an embarrassment, like the Greek |
| to low 80's. I watched him throw curve balls | | | | team's performance in 2004? Or will the home |
| with some good movement and change ups as | | | | team have a chance to compete? My personal |
| well. His control was comparable to an | | | | opinion is that the competition level doesn't |
| average to good college pitcher.The | | | | exist in China now for the national team to |
| particular game we watched went into extra | | | | compete with the likes of Japan, Taiwan, the |
| innings as the Eagles dropped a large lead | | | | U.S., or Cuba. However, if they can get |
| late in the game. Being distracted by people | | | | enough exposure by playing outside of China, |
| attempting to practice English during the | | | | they might just pull off a medal. As for the |
| tenth and eleventh innings, it wasn't until | | | | long-term outlook on baseball in China, |
| the twelfth that I noticed a strange twist to | | | | comments made by someone who has more |
| baseball as the Chinese play it. Probably for | | | | experience with the system, as an investor |
| the sake of ending the game as soon as | | | | and active baseball supporter in China, give |
| possible, they allow both teams to start | | | | a pretty good take on the subject. When I |
| extra innings with a runner on second base. | | | | mentioned to him that I was considering |
| One problem I saw with this approach is that | | | | opening a baseball retail store or batting |
| it made the game boring, as the apparent lack | | | | cage in Shanghai, one of the founders of the |
| of confidence in hitting on the part of both | | | | CBL told me that it wouldn't be a bad idea if |
| teams turned the extra innings into a | | | | I didn't mind starving for a couple of years. |
| bunt-fest. Finally Tianjin broke open and | | | | A few years from now however, he said, a much |
| went on to win 9-5 in 12 innings.During the | | | | different scenario is likely to exist, with |
| game, I met some college baseball players who | | | | baseball possibly becoming what it is in |
| had become interested in baseball when they | | | | Taiwan. |
| came to college. They don't attend the | | | | |