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