Baseball will be at the Olympics. It will be its swan song. There are now two exhibition games in Beijing between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, the first MLB games in China. It’s the first test of the Olympic baseball venue and an attempt to attract Chinese fans, most of whom follow only basketball or soccer and know little of the game of ‘bangqiu.’

Baseball was played in China in 1863 when an American named Henry William Boone formed the Shanghai Baseball Club. Babe Ruth and Casey Stengel have played in China. Like other Western influences, it disappeared during the Cultural Revolution of 1966-76.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said, ‘It may be a slow process, but once it starts blossoming I think you are going to see a number of players from China making an impact. We all have to put in the time right now and be patient.’

The chances of baseball making it in China are about the same as cricket making it in the United States.

Some obstacles:

Although the game will be seen on TV in the U.S., there’s no coverage in China.
Baseball is expensive in China, and equipment is nearly impossible to find.
Ticket prices for the two exhibition games this weekend range between RMB50 and 1,280, or $7 for the cheap seats and $180 for boxes. Both games are expected to be sold out, but many fans will be foreigners living in China.

Zhang Yufeng, the captain of China’s national team, said baseball equipment in China was too expensive for most Chinese. A ball can cost $14 and a real wood bat about $140.

Zhang said, ‘Baseball is an elite sport. It requires special equipment and fields. You pay that much for a bat and you can break it so easy. And clothes and gloves are also expensive. So it’s difficult to get a team together.

‘China’s national sport is ping-pong, no doubt. All you need is a ball and a paddle.’

Now it has been dropped from the Olympics in 2012, baseball and is hoping to get back in. It could return in 2016, but only if the Europe-dominated IOC votes it back. Cricket has more chance and it has none.

Sandy Alderson of the Padres said, ‘It would be unfortunate if these facilities were not to remain because they are ideal for the further development of the game. Losing baseball in the Olympics and the funding was a real blow to baseball. Getting it going in China would help.’
Don’t hold your breath.
Source: AP