Olympic Games
Venues - Baseball
Take me out to the bangqiu in Beijing
The rules have to be explained but after a while, the Chinese started to get the hang of it
Last Updated: Thursday, May 22, 2008 | 2:41 PM ET
By Bernice Chan CBC Sports
Los Angeles manager Joe Torre walks enjoys a quiet moment before the game against the San Diego Padres at Beijing's Wukesong Stadium in March. (Guang Niu/Getty Images) Major League Baseball hopes to make the great American pastime as popular as basketball is in China.
In mid-March the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres played two days of exhibition games at the Beijing Wukesong Sports Center Baseball Field to show the Chinese what bangqiu or “stick ball” is all about.
During that time the riots in Lhasa had already broken out, causing security to be extra vigilant at the venue, which will hold the baseball tournament at the Olympics.
Reports say everyone’s bags were scrupulously checked along with every bottle of water. Even written material was quickly scanned for political correctness, resulting in eager baseball fans or the curious having to wait a long time before entering the stands.
Security fears also led to the cancellation of gala pre-game celebration on the field, which was supposed to feature lion dances and drumming. But there were cheerleaders dressed in shiny red tops and hot pants who danced between innings. Despite the altered program, the people, a mixture of foreigners and Chinese, were keen to watch the game. Martial arts star Jet Li threw the ceremonial first pitch and then the game began.
Enthusiastic fans
The programs handed out explained the rules of the game and after a while, the Chinese started to get the hang of it. Reports were they were more enthusiastic the following day, with louder cheers from about 12,000 spectators.
However, the all-American snacks weren’t so hot. A local American restaurant catered the event, but the hotdogs ended up being cold dogs, and – shock, horror – not enough beer to keep spectators happy.
Nevertheless, Dodgers manager Joe Torre called the fans “the most fun part” of his trip to China. “Everyone is so cordial. People can’t do enough for you and I have seen a lot of friendly faces.”
In the end the Padres and Dodgers drew 3-3 on the first day, and San Diego won the following day’s game, 6-3.
There are three fields, next to each other, with the main stadium holding 15,000 spectators.
Bruce Hurst, pitching coach for the Chinese National Baseball Team and former starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, has nothing but praise for the venue.
“In my 15 years of playing in the major leagues, these are the best baseball fields I have ever seen,” he said. “Their infields are as good as anything that I pitched on during the Major Leagues.”
Unfortunately, Olympics organizers have designated the fields as temporary and there are plans to build a high-rise hotel, apartments and other leisure facilities after the Games. But if baseball takes off in August and the momentum continues, perhaps baseball will be here to stay.
