Baseball in China
In 2019, MLB estimated that there were around 21 million active baseball fans in China, with most of them having started following baseball in recent years.[1][2]
History
[edit]Baseball was first introduced to China in 1864 with the establishment of the Shanghai Baseball Club by American medical missionary Henry William Boone.[3] The Qing dynasty then began sending Chinese students to America to learn more about the game.[4] Organized baseball games were established with a game between St. Johns University and the Shanghai MCA baseball club in 1905. In 1915, China placed second to the Philippines in a Greater Asia tournament,[5] and in the 1940s, Communist forces began using baseball as a way to cultivate discipline and to become better at throwing grenades,[4] with baseball becoming the unofficial sport of the Army.[6]
In 1959, a nationwide baseball competition began.[7] However, in the same year, Mao Zedong disbanded all the teams and outlawed baseball and other Western-origin influences as part of the Cultural Revolution.[3] Baseball activities only restarted after Mao's death in 1976.[6] In 2002, the China Baseball League was formed and in 2019 the China National Baseball League. China now participates in the World Baseball Classic. Defeats of the national team to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea may help change the trend as Chinese become more aware of the game's internationalization.[8]
Variations of baseball, such as slow-pitch softball and Baseball5, have helped power the growth of the sport in China.[1] For example, Baseball5 has been promoted in Hong Kong as a way of reaching new fans, with the 2024 World Cup having been hosted in the city.[9] Major League Baseball has put significant effort into spreading the sport in China, such as by starting the Play Ball initiative that has reached over 5 million school children since 2008.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Feature: China sees growing youthful exuberance on baseball diamond -Xinhua". english.news.cn. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ 杜娟. "MLB's China operation knocking it out the ball park". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ a b "Chinese Baseball League - League History". news.cbl.org.cn. Archived from the original on 2005-06-09.
- ^ a b "Can China Rediscover Its Love of Baseball?". sixthtone.com. October 23, 2023. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ Swiryn, Jeff. "The Emergence of Baseball in China: Part I". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ a b "Hong Kong baseball chief dreams of the day his sport is given room to grow". South China Morning Post. 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ xgzhang. "Baseball Becoming Popular in China". China Today. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ a b "Why baseball is a hit in Japan, but striking out in China". South China Morning Post. 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Hosting Baseball5 World Cup has been a great experience for Hong Kong: organiser". South China Morning Post. 2024-10-12. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
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