Results tagged “baseball”

After all the success of the NBA in China, other American sports leagues are dying to get in on the Chinese sports market. The NFL came up with a kitschy Football-related reality TV show to win the hearts and minds of the populous, but the MLB is kicking it up a notch: they're actually letting people play baseball to get them to like it! The League has started summer sports camps around China, but they're hoping their new baseball development center at Dongbeitang High School will pay off with some major league material in time. In a country like China where baseball is a completely foreign sport, it's probably the best way, don't you think?

Five Chinese swimmers received two year bans yesterday after testing positive for the anabolic steroid clenbuterol at a national competition last June. According to the AP the athletes' coaches also received one to two year bans.

Is China's national baseball team getting better or worse?

A total of 14 people were killed in two separate illegal fireworks plant blasts, one in Hebei province and another in Shandong. The former took place in a factory that originally produced hell money which are burnt to the dead by Chinese folk religionists. [Xinhua]

China's young generation are tightening their belts and cutting their spending, and one young man in Beijing who launched a campaign to curb weekly living expenses to 100 yuan says he's already garnered 55,000 participants. [Reuters]

The 15,000-seat Wukesong Sports Center baseball field, which was Beijing's Olympic baseball venue, has been slated for the wrecking ball to pave way for the development of a shopping mall, dashing all hopes for the preservation of the venue as a centre for the future development of the sport in China. [Reuters]

Beijing's Olympic baseball stadium has never had a particularly bright future. Plans to raze at least one of the two structures, built next to the much more commercially lucrative Wukesong basketball arena, seem to remain unchanged. This AP report indicates that, as China Sports Today has been told in conversations with China-based baseball professionals, the main stadium could soon be history. The reason is simple--lack of sufficient interest in the game to justify a substantial lineup of games.

China's professional baseball league started off with a sweep last week as the Tianjin Tigers swept the Guangdong Leopards in three games, 11-1，13-10，and 8-5. Being the league's official opening series the first game was preceded by a red carpet ceremony and boasted of, surprise surprise, cheerleaders.

Play ball! On Tuesday the China Baseball League released the official schedule for this year's games. The Shanghai Eagles, cheered on by their newly named mascot Tianyi the Eagle will play 9 home games this year, all in the first pre-Olympic half of the season. The home opener is April 18 against the Guangdong Leopards at Pudong's Kangbei Baseball and Softball Stadium. With the opening of the new metro lines making the trip out to the stadium is easier than ever: simply take Line 6 to the West Gaoke Rd station and walk west one block to the sports complex that hosts the Eagles' games. Bring some snacks, your glove and be ready to cheer the home team!

The Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres this weekend at Beijing's Olympic baseball stadium. Seating capacity is limited to 13,000 spectators, and sure enough Emma has sold out their allotment of the cheap seats here in Shanghai. We're curious as to the scalper situation in Beijing, but for the risk-averse, other Chinese ticketing websites still have a small number of tickets left. A little internet sleuthing can still get you into the RMB 88 section! As far as the line-ups, San Diego is bringing a mix of veterans and new players to Beijing:

The Padres traveling contingent includes players with substantial experience in the Major Leagues (closer Trevor Hoffman), up-and-coming regulars (Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff) and a host of players who will play in the Minor Leagues in 2008.

The Dodgers seem to have left their star players in Florida in favor of featuring their two Asian prospects:

None of the pitchers on the roster played more than 16 games in the majors last year. Non-roster invitee Chan Ho Park, who is seeking to revive his career, is the most experienced with 11-plus years of major league service, and will be joined by pitchers including Hong-Chih Kuo, Eric Stults and Eric Hull, who spent most of last year in the minors.

That's disappointing for True Blue fans, but the chance to see Joe Torre leading a team in America's national pastime still has us excited to be there. For the unlucky, unadventurous, or just plain lazy, baseball will show its face in our lovely hometown starting next month. The China Baseball League 2008 season runs from early April to late September, with a three-and-a-half month break over the summer for the Beijing Olympics. Shanghai's Special Olympic Stadium, Kangbei Baseball and Softball Field in Pudong, will host the city's Shanghai Eagles in 12 games this season. According to the official schedule posted to the CBL's site last month the Eagles' first home game will be on April 18. Take us out to the ballgame! Major League Baseball Spring Training in China, San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (split-squad), Wukesong Baseball Field, Beijing, Friday and Saturday, 1 pm. Previously on Shanghaiist
Dodgers, Padres to play in Beijing
Spring training in Beijing
Interview: Gil Kim, US player in the China Baseball League
The 2007 China Baseball League schedule Video, from 2007, about Major League Baseball's grass roots efforts in China.

Earlier we had reported that America's favorite pastime might soon be making its Chinese debut and now it's official. The China Series 2008, as its being called, will feature two games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres on March 15-16. The games will be held at Beijing's Wukesong Baseball Field, which will also be used for the upcoming Olympics. No word yet on when tickets will be available or how much they will be.

According to Major League Baseball's official website, the LA Dodgers and San Diego Padres have committed to playing two exhibition games in Beijing's Olympic stadium next March. The games, scheduled tentatively for the weekend of March 15-16 at the Wukesong baseball stadium, are part of an MLB outreach to Asian baseball fans. The effort also includes season opening games between the Oakland A's and reigning champion Boston Red Sox at the Tokyo Dome, and a...

Photo of a Mummy 3 set in a Hebei Province desert from China.org.cn

The Shanghaiist Weather Center is 100 percent sure the answer will be yes (although is Shanghai Circuit really in Shanghai?). It's dry now in the French Concession, but the dark clouds above suggest it won't stay that way for long. Here's the latest weather update from the official Formula 1 website: Thus far Sunday has been dry with a little wind, but no sign of the edge of Typhoon Krosa, which is sweeping through the...

According to anonymous MLB officials, the American professional baseball league is making plans to send a few teams to Beijing to play exhibition games during their pre-season spring training. The games would be held in March, five months before the start of the 2008 Olympics, and take place at Beijing's Wukesong Field, a small stadium with a capacity of 15,000 that will host the Olympiad's baseball events.

Pioniers, a minor league team in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2007, he was signed by the Beijing Tigers of the China Baseball League (more info here). The CBL season already over, Kim recently answered some of our questions via email.

New York Yankees sign on first Chinese players.
The New York Yankees announced today that they have signed left-handed pitcher Kai Liu and catcher Zhenwang Zhang to minor league contracts, becoming the first Major League team to sign a player from the People's Republic of China with approval from the country's baseball association.

China Fines Six Banks for Lending to Stock Purchases

China's banking regulator fined six banks for making loans that were illegally invested in shares, the first sanctions announced after a yearlong investigation aimed at cooling speculation and curbing financial risks.

China’s growth sustainable

China’s double-digit economic growth remains sustainable with the rapid expansion expected to continue over the next few years, state media reported, citing a senior government advisor.

China Mobile eyes biggest ever Shanghai listing

China Mobile , the world's largest mobile phone operator, plans to raise more than $6 billion in a stock offer in Shanghai as early as next month that would be China's largest ever.

Microsoft will set up a SQL Server R&D Center in China

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates announced during his visit to China last month that his company would further expand its research and development institutes in Beijing and Shanghai.

Shanghai set to overtake Singapore as world`s busiest port

Shanghai is set to overtake Singapore as the world's busiest port in 2008 as the Chinese economy continues with its stellar growth, an executive of the city-state's port operator said in remarks published Monday.

Free dinosaur exhibition to open on July 10

Workers at Shanghai Science and Technology Museum today opened 59 cases containing more than 20 scarce dinosaur fossils from Zigong City, Sichuan Province, which will be exhibited at the museum for free from July 10 through August 31.

Shanghai's new height: 423.8 meters

The unfinished Shanghai World Financial Center eclipsed Jinmao Tower to become the tallest building on the Chinese mainland as it scraped the sky at 423.8 meters yesterday, exceeding Jinmao's 420.5 meters.

China's rural labor force shrinking fast

China will begin to feel the pain of labor shortages nationwide in the next couple of years - much earlier than previously forecast - as the country's seemingly ample supply of rural migrant workers dries up, say latest studies by state think-tanks.

China Confirms Demolition of Giant Buddha Statue At Tibetan Monastery

The Chinese authorities have acknowledged the 'removal' of a giant gold and copper plated statue of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) donated by Chinese Buddhists to Samye monastery in Tibet and demolished by Chinese People's Armed Police in mid-May.

Sudanese students flock to learn Chinese

Tong Xiaofeng, a Chinese professor at Khartoum University, says most of the Sudanese students in his class are motivated by money.

Taiwanese Upset at China's Policies

Many people in Taiwan are disappointed with the behaviour of the Chinese government, according to a poll by Taiwan Thinktank. 85 per cent of respondents think China’s efforts to exclude Taiwan from world bodies will affect two-way relations.

China's Alibaba plans HK IPO for $1 bln-report

Alibaba.com, China's biggest e-commerce company, will raise up to US$1 billion in a Hong Kong initial public offering this year, spurning the U.S. markets, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday.

Explaining the Vanishing Pirate

According to Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, Chow Yun-fat's role in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie was censored for "for vilifying and defacing the Chinese and insulting Singapore."

Danone Executives Targeted In Shanghai Protest

Dozens of employees from Chinese beverage giant Wahaha descended upon a five-star hotel and office complex in one of the city’s richest districts last week to shout their wrath at Groupe Danone of France for its attempted takeover activities.

Wahaha workers protest Danone bid

Dozens of Wahaha employees took to the street yesterday shouting "Oppose Danone" and "Boycott Danone" to protest the alleged takeover bid by Groupe Danone SA of its Chinese partner Wahaha.

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Photo by yunny.

... on the line—June 7-10 are the dates for that annual rite of passage known as the university examination (高考). This year is also special in that it marks the 30th anniversary of the reinstitution of the examinations after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Part of what piques our interest about the examinations are the ingenious cheating techniques that have proliferated with the spread of mobile devices such as phones, laptops, and walkie-talkies. Each year, they try to crack down, and this year is no different: the new rule is that you can't leave the test room prior to the last half-hour of each test session. But we trust after the tenth, we will find some more reports about how some people managed to cheat the system. It's hard to not be amazed by the progress has been made since the days where we scribbled history notes on the inside of our hand or the old crib-sheet-in-the-baseball cap days.

Yep. At least that is what Newsweek would have us believe. They attended the 2007 World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida, last month and noted that 38 teams from 15 foreign countries participated in the international events. Two years ago, when the international events were launched, three teams showed up.

Would you believe that we get emails fairly regularly from people looking for even the most basic information about the China Baseball League? We wrote a story about the pro league back in 2004, and it's a testament to how little English info about the league exists out there that it's still one of most widely read CBL sources on the internet (it helps that Wikipedia linked to it). And so we have people asking us about everything from how they can play in the league to how they can watch a game ... or even if the league exists anymore (and lately that actually has been a pretty good question). Shanghaiist's last post about the CBL came in July 2005. Shortly thereafter the league saw a change at the top — Tom McCarthy, the American who helped found the league, left, and when he did, information about the league in English dried up (look, their English website still thinks it is April 2005). And throughout last season, the Chinese version of the site sat unchanged, as well. (Tianjin beat Guangdong for the title, for those of you still on the edge of your seat.) We think we're going to give the CBL another chance in 2007, however. They've updated and redesigned their website (they even have a countdown to opening day ... which is Friday). And we're really jonesing to watch some baseball action. The MLB season has started, but our satellite TV is down and we've been too lazy/busy to burn or buy a new card and we doubt our internet connection could handle MLB.tv. And while the CBL is a far cry from the big leagues (or even the minor leagues) there's something nice about an afternoon spent at the ballpark. And where is the Shanghai ballpark? Well, the Eagles are back in Pudong's Congbei Stadium, near the intersection of Yunlian Lu (云连路) and Qihe Lu (齐河路) . Here is a map and public transportation directions (in Chinese) courtesy of Baidu. You'll see that it is much easier to hop in a cab. We called up a college student who we met at a game a couple years ago (his English name is Goose) and he hooked us up with the 2007 China Baseball League Schedule, which you can see in English and Chinese by pressing on the "Continue reading ..." link below. Goose also invited Shanghaiist readers to visit his baseball BBS website. So check out the schedule, after the jump, but keep in mind that Shanghai's first home game isn't until April 20. Maybe we'll see you there? If the concessions situation is the same as it was in the past, we should plan on packing our own beer and hot dogs, not to mention peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Also on Shanghaiist
Beijing Tigers could win China baseball crown today
Wild Pitch? Major League Baseball to open China office
Ouch! China clobbered by Japan in World Baseball Classic Related
Basbeall league gets Japanese help (Xinhua)
In search of baseball's Yao Ming (Shanghai Diaries)
MLB invests in China’s baseball growth (Shanghai Diaries)
Take me out to the bangqiu bisai (Shanghai Diaries)
Buy me some peanuts and … soy sauce rice crackers? (Shanghai Diaries) Photo of Goose from danwashburn.com.

Shanghaiist is in a panic. Our Enjoy card expires on Saturday and we have a million (OK, not really, but it seems like it) coupons left in our book and they are all useless by tomorrow midnight. After swapping vouchers like baseball cards with other coupon clippers, the plan for today is to maximize our discounts to the fullest extent for 12 hours or more…

It seems like, all across the network, folks were up to no good. Maybe it was all the green beer from last weekend...

With the sun out, the temperatures high, one can only think of one thing-- what's going on in the World of the -ist's?

Spring appears to have, er, sprung, at least temporarily, in most of the Ist-A-Verse, so naturally, we're all feeling pretty good. (Yes, we know that spring doesn't start till later this month. Just let us enjoy our weather!) And that makes us that much more eager to share all of the nifty things we're up to...

The report, in Chinese gives us a brief glimpse of a bunch of new regulations called, in Chinese, 《上海市民公共行为条例》, or something like "Shanghai citizens' public behavior regulations." The million dollar question is whether or not this thing has any teeth, or put in more everyday terms, how much will we have to fork over if we are caught doing something "bad"?

Shanghai plaintiff files wrongful death claim against Eastman in Madison County

"Clevenger claims from the first moment his boss mentioned an international assignment, he responded that he and his family would go anywhere in the world except China." Interesting story.

Ax In China TV Ads, In Nod to Muslims Porcine Prohibition

"'China is a multiethnic country,' the network's ad department said in a notice sent to ad agencies late Tuesday. 'To show respect to Islam, and upon guidance from higher levels of the government, CCTV will keep any 'pig' images off the TV screen.'"

Shanghai moves to close private schools for migrants

"Shanghai officials refused repeated requests for an explanation of the Jianying school's closure. Wang Xin, a spokeswoman for the Shanghai Municipal Education Commmission, would only say of the migrants, 'We are not kicking them out of Shanghai.'"

The Devil Made Me Do It: Rudeness in China

"I am sure, though, Fallows does NOT grab the booties of hapless Japanese passengers. Why? Because he CHOOSES not to. Whatever culture he and countless other foreigners live in, they selectively CHOOSE behaviours that may not be countenanced in their home countries."

torrent files

Download away.

Online, films not "underground"

"One underground film, Green Hat《绿帽子》, written and directed by Liu Fendou, offers an example of how the Internet provides a platform for the dissemination of materials that are not officially sanctioned and could become widely known in no other way."

Metro defends brake access

"The handles are for emergency use to stop the train automatically so that passengers can open the door by hand to escape," said Yin Wei, a Metro company official. "They must be easy and quick to reach. Setting them inside glass boxes that must be broken to open is not a good idea.'"

Art zones create high rent not talent, says designer

"In 2000, daily rent in M50 was only 0.4 yuan (five US cents) to 0.5 yuan a square meter on average. It now stands at about four yuan."

Sculpture by Dali headed to Nanjing Rd

"'Nobility of Time,' a US$1 million bronze sculpture created by Salvador Dali, will be erected on Nanjing Road W. next year."

Police hunt for brake puller

"Police are calling for any passengers who saw the brake pulled to step forward with information, but said so far they have no idea why the brake was pulled."

Top Yankees officials to visit China, Japan

"The meetings would focus on arrangements allowing the Yankees to send coaches, scouts, player-development and training personnel to China and to receive Chinese association personnel at the Yankee facilities in the United States, the team said."

China to get 'Millionaire' TV show

"Dutch company 2waytraffic, which holds the rights to the popular TV quiz show, 'Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?' said Thursday that it has licensed a Chinese company to produce a local edition of the program."

Blackmailing By Journalists In China Seen As 'Frequent'

"But more generally, journalists and officials say, Chinese reporters are demanding such hush money with increasing regularity from businesses and government agencies in exchange for the withholding of unfavorable news."

China's top travel site Ctrip partners with MSN

"Shanghai-based Ctrip said it had signed an agreement to become strategic partner with Microsoft's MSN China Web site (www.msn.com.cn), allowing the Chinese travel agent to tap over 20 million MSN Messenger users in China."

Seeking Edge in China, Yankees Put Baseball First

"They believe there is talent to be cultivated in China, and when future prospects have a choice of where to sign, the Yankees want their brand and reputation to stand out."

Playing with Sharks

"If match attendence is anything to go by, Shanghai seems unaware it has a local basketball team at all." Same as it ever was (since Yao Ming).

Article on Shanghai's Lesbian hotline

The lines are ringing off the hook.

Raw Sheep's Heart and Horse Meat

"So the horse meat was like Italian ham, and the raw sheep's heart was like slices of liver pate."

Price of bullet train ticket 20% higher than normal

"A first class seat on China's new bullet trains from Shanghai to Nanjing will be sold at 86.4 yuan (US$11.22) ..."

China's Hu vows to "purify" Internet

"Hu, a strait-laced communist with little sympathy for cultural relaxation, did not directly mention censorship." Great!

Hospital opens China's first drunk tank for foreigners

"Chinese media reports quoted Xishan police officer Zhao Jian as saying that drunk foreigners in Kunming was a growing problem and that he expected many foreigners to be escorted to the hospital for sobering up."

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Photos by Nick Liu found via the Shanghaiist Contribute page.

As 2006 ends and 2007 begins, the -ists look back not at the past week, but at the past year. So here it is, your Best of 2006 Spectacular. And from all of us at the -ists, happy New Year!

is a hit. It's getting rave reviews, grossing millions, and definitely the most quotable thing we've seen in ages. But Borat seems to have missed most of the -ist cities, and we were all wondering how the film would have been different if he'd made his way around the world on the -ist tour.

-Bostonist discussed two big state issues-- what sort of math constitutes a marriage and what kind of alcohol can be sold in most grocery stores. And the politically minded Curt Schilling went on "Jeopardy!".

COLOR: PINE GREEN/GREY GRANITE

Expanding on earlier reports, the Associated Press reported on Friday that Major League Baseball plans to open an office in China "within a month" and they'd like to have the regular season opener played in Beijing by 2008. Baseball's bobble heads are gonzo about the sport's potential "in a nation that has a population of more than 1.3 billion." The subhead for the first story linked to above says the "search for baseball's Yao Ming is on." (We've heard that before.) Back in 2004, an observer of Chinese baseball told us China was 10 to 15 years behind most other countries when it came to baseball. And this paragraph from the AP story would make it seem like that isn't going to change anytime soon:

The band, scheduled to perform at 7:30 with an end time around 9:30, was bumped up to accommodate a double booking with a Chinese acrobat show intended to entertain "distinguished guests" both of the governmental, business and tourist variety, said the Yunfeng Theatre manager.