Ethan Martinez

Having lived in China for three years now, never did I expect to play the game I have been committed to my entire life in a place where it is almost nonexistent. Unlike Taiwan and neighboring countries like Japan and Korea where baseball flourishes, there has been an awakening.

China is well known for its individual sports, such as martial arts, ping pong, and badminton. However, a significant rise in appeal for basketball and soccer has developed.  Basketball was becoming more important than any other, thanks to the great Yao Ming who played for my hometown’s team, the Houston Rockets. Both sports have a professional presence in China with the Chinese Basketball Association being the biggest by far. But if soccer and basketball, two western sports, are so popular in China, why isn't baseball? First, lets take a look at its history in China.

Baseball wasn’t necessarily popular, but it did exist in China many years ago; 153 years to be exact. That’s right, like most international arrivals to China, baseball first emerged in Shanghai back in 1863, and again in 1915, the Chinese national team placed second to the Philippines in the Greater Asia baseball tournament held in Shanghai. Baseball would then continue to grow in popularity until the time of the Cultural Revolution, where it was banned until its end, and in 1974 the sport would revive with the creation of the China Baseball Association. Then, in 2002, the China Baseball League was created, establishing the country’s professional baseball league today.

The Chinese Baseball League or CBL consisted of only six teams, but due to funding and interest it has dropped to just four. Wuxi has a team called the Jiangsu Pegasus whom I had the opportunity to watch last season at their stadium located in New District, not far from where I live. Remarkably, the venue was very nice and sold out. I was surprised to see the stadium filled and people cheering endlessly. They had vendors promoting baseball programs in Wuxi and food stalls for people to eat and enjoy the game. However, the one thing that excited me the most, was the amount of kids watching the game in their team uniforms with their baseball teams. The signified the game’s presence in this city. The competition itself was impressive: home runs were hit, double plays were made, and runs were scored. These players had been playing baseball their entire life, going to baseball school at a very young age where education comes second and baseball is practiced intensely for hours every day. These students literally live, eat and breathe baseball. Some of these schools are sponsored by Major League Baseball, where coaches from the US come to China to develop players to try and get them to play at the professional level in the US.

Baseball has always been a huge part of my life but not as big as the professional players here. My entire family was brought up playing it, and in Houston, Texas, baseball is life. During my first year teaching in China, aside from my beloved truck, baseball was the one thing I had missed the most. I missed it so much that I had started to write a book about baseball in China. It wasn’t until returning to China to work with JESIE in Wuxi that I discovered its existence. This brought baseball back into my life, and forever changed my China experience.

It all started with the discovery of a bar called Tik-Tok Baseball Club, located just outside my community. So one night, I got together with a group of friends to check the place out. It was quite the setup. Inside, was a full bar, a billiards table, and a batting cage that allowed three people to hit at the same time. Although it wasn’t the best cage, it allowed me to step up to a plate with a bat in hand ready to take hacks. Something I hadn’t done in eight years. I felt like a kid again. I spent 100 RMB on taking cuts. I couldn't stop. It wasn’t until I exhausted myself and decided to have a drink when the owner came up to me and in English said that I was pretty good. He then told me that there are teams in Wuxi that practice all the time and compete every so often. Surprised by this information, I grew very interested in finding out more. He said he would add me to a baseball group on WeChat that is based in Wuxi and even take me to one of his teams’ practices. It was winter and the Spring Festival was just around the corner. I knew I wouldn’t be around until after the holiday, so I didn't think anything else of it after that night. This was until I saw pictures on WeChat posted of a baseball tournament that took place in Wuxi. Once I saw those photos I thought, UNBELIEVABLE, they’re playing baseball! On an actual baseball field! In China! Uniforms and all!

A month or so after returning from my vacation, I decided to contact the owner of the bar to ask if I could attend a practice with him.  That Sunday, he picked me up and we headed to Jiangnan University. It was a cold afternoon, and when we arrived, I couldn't help but think to myself, this is actually happening. The guys were wearing their team’s uniform and warming up exactly as we would back home. Almost immediately, nostalgia kicked in. I got a whiff of the familiar aroma that came from the leather gloves, baseballs, and other equipment that I hadn’t smelt in a long time. I must admit, it’s weird to say but anyone that plays the game knows what I am talking about. I looked ridiculous. All I could do was bury my face in a glove and repeatedly inhale its scent. Once my infatuation with the smell had ended, I began to practice. Since I was a child, I had dreamed of seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an and going to the Great Wall. I unforgettably did this in 2015, during my first time teaching in China, but that day at Jiangnan University was one of the happiest days of my life in China.

After that practice, the team’s manager, Jay, who is Chinese like the rest of the team, and now one of my closest friends, asked to have dinner with me later that week. He told me he had a youth baseball development program for Chinese kids, and had a handful of international players that he coached on Saturdays. He asked if I would be interested in helping him coach. Without hesitation, I agreed. So since March 2016, I have been helping to coach his youth team every Saturday which consists of kids from China, Taiwan, and the US. Additionally, I now play and coach with that very team I had practiced with on that cold Sunday afternoon. Through this program I have had the opportunity to learn and coach alongside Shengxian Feng, a retired Taiwanese professional baseball player and coach in Taiwan who was once the Rookie of the Year back in 2000, and three times golden glove winner.

After getting acquainted with Jay, he invited me to play in a friendly softball game between a Taiwanese and Japanese team. That day surpassed the feeling I had at practice, for it fulfilled a lifelong dream, which was to play in an actual game with people from another country. Being able to play with the Japanese team was an awesome experience. I was taken aback by the level of respect they brought to the game. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. For example, when a Japanese player stepped into the batter’s box, he would first take his hat off and bow to the umpire and catcher, then turn to face the pitcher and do the same before getting ready for his at-bat.

Baseball is the ultimate game changer for my life in China. It has not only allowed me to fall back in love with the game but more importantly it has given me the feel of home. I have met so many people, leading to more playing opportunities and a deeper understanding of the game through different cultures. It’s not just being able to play the game, it’s about being able to share America’s pastime and turn it into China’s future in sports. Like many things on the rise in this rapidly developing country, baseball is here to stay. With the presence of the CBL and official Major League Development centers, it won’t be long before the Yao Ming of China’s baseball makes his major league debut in the US. When this happens baseball will flourish and so will every team oriented activity.