Home > International

MLB's China development centers paying dividends

Updated : 2017-05-31
By Zhang Xiaoyu and Richard Whiddington(chinadaily.com.cn)

The arrival of Chinese players in the American minor leagues is not a novelty, but the process of being developed in China and moving directly to a Major League franchise is a new development somewhat inconceivable 10 years ago.

The first steps of China's developing relationship with baseball came in the 1990s and early 2000s as a number of players made appearances for Japanese teams, notably Lv Jiangang who signed for the Chunichi Dragons and Zhu Dawei who played for the Seibu Lions in 2006.

Baseball began to be aired on CCTV and popularity mounted sufficiently to prompt the MLB foray into East China to establish these development bases. With the league suddenly interested in the country, it was perhaps to be expected that the New York Yankees, the league's most iconic and arguably profit oriented franchise, signed left-handed pitcher Liu Kai and catcher Zhang Zhenwang in the summer of 2007 to minor league contracts.

While Liu and Zhang may have faded into obscurity, for youngsters such as Xu and Gong who were watching from afar, the mere fact of having compatriots to look up to made a difference. The move by the MLB to live stream 125 games a year in China through 2018 will only further interest in the game.

The MLB development programs have proved relatively successful on a baseball front with 12 players established in the Chinese Baseball League and three individuals having being called up to the national team. Additionally, the program also offers youngsters the chance to reach high education and can boast 27 individuals that have reached graduate school at Chinese universities and a further five that now attend US universities.

Feng Qingyang, one of the many student athletes in Wuxi's MLB development center, takes a swing during daily practice. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Yet at its core the goal of MLB Play Ball is simply to spread the joy of one of the world's most popular sports. This it achieves through visiting hundreds of schools and giving youngsters the chance to take their first swing of the bat – it provides equipment and instruction too and estimates having brought the spirit of baseball to over 100,000 students.

Though spreading spirit and a love of the game are hardly equivalents for on field success, no one has been expecting an overnight success for the MLB and it seems that even if Gong fails to become the first domestically produced player to make the big time, many more are sure to follow.

     
Videos
 
67df97dca310c240e2431499.jpeg

2025 Wuxi Marathon kicks off

微信截图_20250303090633.jpg

Wuxi's spring starts from Plum Garden

67a412dca310a2ab87b65ce1.jpeg

Sculpting the imagination

微信截图_20241129102133.jpg

Where to go hiking in Yixing

News
Sports
Videos
Photos
Business
Biz Updates
Industries
Development Zones
Companies
Travel
Attractions
Dining
Accommodation
Shopping
Entertainment
Transportation
Maps
Culture
Culture News
Heritage
Museums
Events
Services
Visa
Marriage
Healthcare
Jobs
Education
Useful Info
Government
Mayor
Departments
Districts
Policies
About
Overview
Statistics
Sister Cities
E-books
Copyright © China Daily. All rights reserved.
The Information Office of Wuxi Municipal People's Government.
Presented by China Daily.
备案号:京ICP备13028878号-34