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