Members of a diverse and growing community of local baseball enthusiasts came out in force to catch the excitement and support Wuxi's baseball team, the Jiangsu Huge Horses, as the Wuxi tournament leg of the 2024 China Baseball League kicked off this past weekend.
Play in Wuxi began on the morning of July 6, followed by an opening ceremony at 5:30 pm and the ten-day tournament's lone evening match at the main stadium of the Wuxi Professional Sports Team Management Center in Jiangsu province.
Over a hundred Wuxi locals were treated to a 13-2 Jiangsu Huge Horse victory over the Shandong Blue Whales on July 6. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
Jiangsu manager Chen Biao revealed that nerves were a factor as the match began, this being the team's first league game in Wuxi this year.
"I believe that playing at home means we should put forth our best effort and state of mind. The players felt some pressure playing in front of their friends and family at home, but it's a good kind of pressure. It motivated them," Chen reflected.
The Jiangsu Huge Horses overcame their nerves and put on a show Saturday evening for a crowd of more than a hundred hometown fans, defeating the Shandong Blue Whales comfortably, with a final score of 13 to 2.
Catcher Luan Chenchen played a major role in the victory, breaking the game open with a bases-clearing triple in the third inning before ultimately taking home for good measure following a throwing error at third base.
Jiangsu catcher Luan Chenchen sprints home after a throwing error, bringing the score to 5-1 in the top of the third inning on July 6. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
"I just wanted to hit the ball solidly. I wasn't expecting it to turn into a triple," Luan explained, "But when I saw the ball fly, I ran faster than I ever thought I could. I was going at 120 percent of my speed."
It was this kind of effort that resonated with the Wuxi crowd, which included dozens of young fans. Zhong Ze, one of several youth coaches in attendance with their players at Saturday evening's game, said, "Many of these kids are experiencing this kind of formal event for the first time, and it's an unforgettable experience for them. These kinds of events help build interest and support for the sport among the younger generation."
Prior to the game, Zhong's team was invited to participate in pregame festivities with players on the field. Mo Huitao, a parent of one of the young players, enthused, "Seeing my son enjoy baseball and being part of this community is great."
Players of all ages interact on-field before the July 6 match at the main stadium of the Wuxi Professional Sports Team Management Center. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
Wuxi's baseball community is populated not only by coaches like Zhong Ze and supportive parents like Mo Huitao, but also by hundreds of local university students and working professionals who have organized themselves into various casual teams and leagues.
Erik Wollum, the only member from the United States on a slow-pitch recreational team otherwise composed of Chinese players, relished the atmosphere and chance to watch China Baseball League action for the first time since last year. "It's amazing to see how a sport comparatively foreign to China still has a dedicated following," he said.
Zhang Luoluo, manager of Wollum's team and witness to the win over Shandong, estimates that there are at least 2,000 students and young professionals playing baseball at multiple levels in Wuxi.
"Even though we are amateur players, we have high goals. Watching professional players perform is thrilling for us," Zhang added.
International students from Wuxi University and local youth players enjoy the pre-game atmosphere on July 6. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
Also among those getting a taste of the thrills and culture of baseball at both Saturday's match and another Jiangsu victory over Guangdong on Monday, July 8, were numerous friends and family members of players; curious local residents; a group of Wuxi University international students hailing from Russia, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan; an enthusiastic Canadian-American woman who traveled all the way from Nanjing; and over two dozen third to sixth-grade students from the Xincheng Garden Community Summer Camp led by teacher Wang Yanni and several teenage volunteers.
During Monday's game, one of Wang's students, who goes by the English name of Kevin, excitedly proclaimed, "While I don't exactly understand it completely, I'm having tons of fun watching the game." Talking over deafening chants from her classmates of "Go Jiangsu! Go Jiangsu!", another young fan admitted that she prefers playing soccer, "but baseball seems interesting too."
Xincheng Garden Community Summer Camp participants cheer the hometown team to a 4-3 victory against the Guangdong Leopards on July 8. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
With such young fans getting a taste for the appeal of baseball, manager Chen Biao expressed gratitude and hope for the future of the sport in Wuxi and China: "This is very personal for me. I've spent 20 years promoting baseball. We've made a lot of progress, and I hope there will be more and more community exchanges and growth in the future."
Jiangsu second baseman Du Xiaolei autographs baseballs for young fans who stayed to the end of the July 6 evening match. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
2024 Chinese Baseball League 2024 Tournament Info:
Teams: Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shanghai, Sichuan, Tianjin, Beijing, Shandong, Henan, Fujian
2024 Season: April 27 to Aug 2
Weihai: April 27 to May 7 (completed)
Chengdu: May 18 to May 28 (completed)
Wuxi: July 6 to July 16 (in progress)
Tianjin: July 19 to July 29
Finals (Tianjin): July 31 to Aug 2
Scoring for each of the four tournaments (Place – Points): First – 11; Second – 9; Third – 7; Fourth – 6; Fifth – 5; Sixth – 4; Seventh – 3; Eighth – 2; Ninth – 1
Players and umpires line up during the opening ceremony for the Wuxi tournament leg of the 2024 China Baseball League. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
2024 League standings as of the completion of Weihai and Chengdu stations:
Beijing Tigers: 22 points, Guangdong Leopards and Shanghai Golden Eagles: 15 points each, Jiangsu Huge Horses: 14 points, Tianjin Lions and Sichuan Dragons: 8 points each, Shandong Blue Whales: 7 points, Fujian Sea Sharks: 4 points, and Henan War Wolves: 3 points
*The two teams with the highest point totals from all four tournaments will face off in a best of three final series. Third- and fourth-place teams will play a one-game third-place match.
Follow Weifeng Baseball (威风棒球) on Douyin to stream live game broadcasts, and the "中国棒球ChineseBaseball" official WeChat account for updates, tournament schedules, and results.
