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