A player is about to pitch a ball during a match at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing in June. (China Daily/Guan Xin)
Before the Olympics, two "spring training" exhibition games between Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres were played at Wukesong Baseball Field in Beijing, the host venue for the sport during the 2008 Games. The exhibition games on March 15 and 16, 2008, showed off MLB clubs to fans in China for the first time.
Now baseball is seeking further development in the most populous country with the help of young people under the auspices of MLB.
Since opening its China office in Beijing in 2007, MLB has launched a program for grassroots baseball education in China.
"MLB started the MLB College Club program in 2009," said Leon Xie, managing director of MLB China.
"The program now offers training facilities and playing fields to 75 colleges and universities throughout China. It also helps organize matches for them."
The college club program that Xie introduced has included tens of thousands of students across the country. It started to include the college league in Beijing and Shanghai in 2010. With its help, the college league in Beijing this year, which is its 20th season, has a record 43 teams taking part. Four years ago, the number was only 27. The Shanghai league also attracted 16 teams this year.
"Those student players brought baseball to more places in the country after their graduation," Xie said. "They are the ones to sow the seeds of baseball. Then the blossoms bloomed everywhere, which showed the importance of promoting baseball among students."
Tan Xin is one example.
As a graduate of UIBE, the 24-year-old Tan, who learned to play baseball six years ago as a university freshman, has found a job in Guangzhou, where he plans to play baseball again.
"I cannot have lifelong teammates, but I can have lifelong friends through baseball," said Tan, who used to be the captain of the team.
"Before picking up baseball, I was self-centered. But through these six years of playing the sport, I learned to communicate more with others and care about others' feeling. I will continue playing baseball. I'm sure I can find new friends to play with in Guangzhou."
The progress is not enough to narrow the gap between Beijing and Shanghai and other cities.
"The level of baseball in colleges and universities is relative high in Beijing and Shanghai, but the development is not that balanced in other cities," Xie said. "MLB has started to help promote the sport in cities like Guangzhou, Changsha and Chengdu. We expect to set up a national league system in coming years."
