The ethical man comprehends according to righteousness, the small man comprehends according to profit.
Analects of Confucius, Book 4, Verse 16
Xu Guiyuan, nicknamed Itchy thanks to one of his baseball coaches, recently made a bit of history by becoming the first player from MLB's three professional baseball development centers in China to sign with a Major League club, in this case the Baltimore Orioles. In an article about Xu that also provides examples of how MLB's centers in China have been adapted to better fit the local culture is a fascinating claim about how the game of baseball, which was banned during the Cultural Revolution, is especially well suited for China:
"All the ethereal things about baseball -- no clock, the sacrifice, the journey around the bases that starts and finishes at home -- it all resonates in Chinese culture," said MLB vice president Jim Small, who oversees all of Asia. "I'm convinced that if baseball was around during Confucius' time, he would have been a huge fan."What would Confucius say? What would the NBA, far more popular than MLB in China, say?
Please discuss.
*Added note: Removed my first two lines because they could imply things I didn't intend to imply and had nothing to do with this post anyway.
Baseball is certainly popular in other Asian countries, including Taiwan. Assuming this Wikipedia article is correct ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_players_from_Taiwan ), there have been 11 players born in Taiwan that have played Major League Baseball.
ReplyDeleteThe advantage that basketball has over baseball is that you can play basketball with two people, one ball and one hoop. Or you can go shoot by yourself. To play a reasonable game of baseball, you need more equipment, more people, and a bigger patch of ground. And it's pretty much impossible to practice by yourself.
If baseball is going to grow in China (or Australia, or the Netherlands, or Italy, or inner-city Chicago), it's going to need organizational and facilities support from the government and MLB's (or NPB's) outreach organization.
Interesting points. I responded here.
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