Faces of Wuxi Series, vol. 7 – Chen Biao
Wuxi resident Bradley Johnson here.
I love exploring and getting to know all kinds of wonderful people in this city.
Let me tell you about Chen Biao.
Getting to know Coach Chen Biao
(or: How to be cool enough to get a list named after yourself)
My first conversation with Chen Biao （陈彪）came after the opening game of the 2024 China Baseball League Wuxi tournament leg back in July.
With Chen leading the way as manager, the Jiangsu Huge Horses' had just put away the Shandong Blue Whales 13-2. Oof. Yet, he struck me right away as being extremely humble in victory, and seemed to take nothing for granted.
Photographic documentation of me thoroughly enjoying my first interview with Coach Chen. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
During our interview in the dugout, Chen took a moment to reflect on the psychology at play for his team that night:
"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," he said.
Interviewing Coach Chen was a delight because of his insightfulness, which he emits naturally and unforced. After saying a bit more on the team's win and his appreciation for them, he gracefully turned the topic to how he hopes the team can make an impact on the greater baseball community in not just Wuxi but throughout the province and even the country. It was immediately apparent to me that Chen Biao cares deeply about the future of baseball in China.
To boot, as busy as he was after the first game of a 10-day tournament, Chen took the time to get to know me. He invited me to come back to "The Base" (what they all call the team facilities) any time, had a scout run get me a team hat, and even checked to see if I needed a ride home.
Nothing has changed in any of our interactions over the ensuing months.
He checked in on me several times over the course of the 2024 Chinese Baseball Association Championship in Tianjin, even joining me for a sit in the stands during a morning rain delay. After the Huge Horses finished off the Beijing Tigers to win the 2024 national crown, what did he talk about? Once again, the manager spoke of the "mantle of responsibility" he and his team carry, which calls for them to boost the baseball culture and increase the confidence of young players throughout the country.
The Jiangsu Huge Horses rush onto the field to celebrate clinching the 2024 Chinese Baseball Association Championship in Tianjin on July 27. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
After watching him lead his team to victory in Tianjin, I determined to find a creative way to portray Chen Biao in the Faces of Wuxi series. Not even because the Jiangsu Huge Horses won, though. The man just has that it factor. He's a leader. He's a dude.
The inspiration for exactly how I'd go about capturing his essence came to me during a recent visit to The Base. I spent an entire morning shadowing him during practice and a tour, picking his brain, and listening to his stories. I saw up close his incredible rapport with his players, coaches, scouts, trainers, and facility manager. Along the way, he told me his origin story, shared his many philosophies on coaching, pontificated on the future of baseball in China, and introduced me to the big boss, Director Ma Zhenxin, whom he reveres and says he owes everything to.
A four 气 mantra is displayed prominently across the team facilities—integrity (正气, zheng qi), dominance (霸气, ba qi), popularity (人气, ren qi), and harmony (和气, he qi). [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
When I looked back at my notes from that morning, I found that the pages were bursting with little nuggets of wisdom—about baseball and about life. I also reached out to several players and team assistants to see what they had to add about Coach Chen.
What follows is just a small selection of what I and the people under his daily leadership have gleaned from good ol' Chen Biao.
Good ol' Chen Biao. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
Coach Chen's Rules for Life and Baseball:
1. "Willingness is everything."
"It's all about willingness," Chen says. "If Director Ma and I are the only ones who want it, and the nine guys on the field aren't motivated, then there's no point in competing." For Chen, motivation isn't just important—it's everything. Success starts with a collective desire to win that is shared by players, coaches, and everyone involved in the game.
2. "Train with your brain."
"想法想法!" (xiangfa xiangfa—or, it's all about mental processing!) Numerous players and staff members told me he says this all the time, urging his players to train with intention. One assistant elaborated: "He always tells us to train with our brains, not just our bodies." To Chen, who was known as a "power hitter" in his day, a sharp mind is as critical as a strong swing. Baseball is just as much mental as it is physical.
Just look at this old picture of Chen Biao the ballplayer and tell me he didn't hit home runs. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
3. "Educate with love, discipline like steel."
Chen's coaching style blends compassion and accountability. "He motivates players while holding them to a high standard," an assistant explained. "爱的教育 铁的纪律" (Educate with love, discipline like steel) is how Chen Biao describes this approach.
4. "Be present."
"陪伴陪伴", the manager says frequently. The character陪 (pei) means to be alongside someone, offering company and presence, while伴 (ban) emphasizes partnership and being a companion in their journey. It's a reminder of Chen's belief in being present, not just as a coach but as a mentor. One assistant shared, "He repeats this a lot—it's about being there for the players, even during the tough days." Chen credits Director Ma for instilling in him this psychology-based emphasis on consistent support.
Coach Chen, present. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
5. "80 percent beats 100 percent."
This is another insight Chen said he picked up from Director Ma. As he described it to me: "Our goal is to work on doing everything at 80 percent. Every position, every responsibility, every player, every task—if they're all at 80 percent, we have a good chance for success. We can't have five guys out there at 100 percent and the other four at 20 percent; that doesn't work." The math checks out, by the way: (100 x 5) + (20 x 4) = 500+80 = 580; 80 x 9 = 720. I'll take the 720!
I love watching Coach Chen (middle-left, wearing sunglasses) interact with his players. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
6. "Mistakes make or break."
"Baseball is about what mistakes your opponent makes and what mistakes you avoid," Coach Chen said to me. He tells his players to play smart, focusing on discipline and avoiding costly errors, rather than seeking individual glory. But mistakes aren't always bad; Chen encourages his team to embrace them as part of the learning process. One of his star players told me he urges them to "Try more. Make more mistakes. If you never make mistakes, you'll never know what's wrong." That's a healthy approach in a sport where mistakes win and lose games.
7. "Do your job, and the team will succeed."
"When we all do our individual jobs, that's when we're most effective collectively," Chen explains. "Can't be selfish or looking out for yourself." This is his approach not just with the players but also with his coaching staff—each role matters, and he puts equal value on everyone's contributions. Refer to the shelves of the Jiangsu Huge Horse trophy room to see how well this approach works.
Chen hopes to one day see a hall of fame set up to honor the unrecognized greats who have helped get China baseball to where it is today. "People should know what they've done," he says. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
8. "Habit is the foundation of passion."
When I asked him if he truly loved baseball, Chen got super philosophical. He said that, yes, he does, but it didn't start that way. "You have to start with the habit—doing your job every day, year after year. Only when it's already a habit can you truly know whether or not you love it." Chen believes that passion grows from consistent effort and repetition. Once habit is established, love and even 热爱 (deep passion) can follow.
9. "Play conservatively; live reliably."
"I won't ask my players to do anything in a game that we haven't practiced," Chen says of his cautious approach. Off the field, he applies the same principles: "踏踏实实做事情 (to handle things in a grounded manner). Leaders must be reliable." For Coach Chen, whether in baseball or life, dependability is the foundation of trust.
I cannot emphasize enough how much I love talking with Chen Biao about life and baseball. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
Here's to the number nine being seen all across China for years to come
You may have noticed I chose to share nine rules from Coach Chen. Nine is very much a baseball number—there are nine innings in a game, nine players on the field at a time, and nine names in a batting lineup. Chen Biao is very much a baseball guy. He loves what he does, he respects his people, they respect him, and, together, they live and breathe baseball.
At some point, I'm going to sit this wise friend of mine down and have him record the story of how he got into the sport. It's pretty cool not just on a personal level but also in the broader context of the history of baseball in China (we're talking legendary, century-old origins all the way out in Gansu province). Yet for all he's been through, Chen's ultimate goal is to give the game a brighter future, empowering young athletes with opportunities he never had. "For the next generation, we've got to make it easier to start than it was for us," he says. "If I'm not doing that, what am I even doing?"
Wuxi friends! Is there someone you think readers would like to see featured in the Faces of Wuxi series? Hit me up! facesofwuxi@outlook.com
Chen Biao and I were both born in 1986, and Jiangsu's first baseball team, which he was on from day one, was formed on my birthday—so that's pretty cool. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
