[SH Sports Pulse] CPB Looks at Shanghai to hit Marketization Homer for Baseball

Editor's Note

In the "SH Sports Pulse" column, we cover international and trendsetting sporting events taking place in Shanghai, while also engaging in in-depth dialogue with sports professionals, from world-renowned stars to ordinary citizens who, through their passion for sports, infuse the city with renewed vitality. Together, they elevate sports into a gleaming showcase for Shanghai as a global metropolis.

Over the past week, the newly completed baseball park on Shanghai's West Bund has become a hot topic among the city's sports fans and trendsetters.

Though construction was hit by two typhoons, and the opening game itself had to be rescheduled twice due to bad weather, the energy and excitement of the sport proved irresistible once fans settled into the stands – with a view of the Huangpu River and the setting sun – and watched hits and home runs (homers) happen just a few meters away.

For Shanghai, the Chinese Professional Baseball (CPB) League is a brand-new competition, and the West Bund Baseball Park is the home of its new franchise, the Shanghai Orcas.

For the CPB, Shanghai is the showcase it wants to build: can a relatively niche sport with clear growth potential find a sustainable, market-driven and community-based model and forge an emotional bond with local fans?

How the CPB develops in Shanghai is a question that Chen Xu, President of the Chinese Baseball Association, cares about deeply.

"Shanghai ranks among the best in China in terms of event organization," said Chen. "It hosts numerous international competitions every year and has also held Olympic qualifiers. Its public and market foundation is excellent. We hope this city can become a breakthrough point for the baseball league and create a model for other regions across the country."

Baseball in China generally lacks a deep historical heritage and a broad grassroots base. In Asia, the leading baseball regions include Japan, South Korea, and China's Taiwan Island. With baseball returning to the Olympic program in 2028 after a seven-year absence, the sport is receiving renewed attention.

So what is the current state of baseball development in China? Chen shared a set of figures: from U8 (under 8) to U18, the number of teams participating in various national-level events has reached 757, with 12,205 athletes. There are now over 300 baseball fields across the country, and more than 1,500 national-level games are held each year.

In terms of achievements, China's best result so far was a fourth-place finish at the U23 Men's Baseball World Cup held in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, in 2024.

At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, the Chinese team also made history by defeating Japan. A breakthrough at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has now become a new goal for Chinese baseball.

However, the construction of China's baseball system inevitably carries a whiff of being Olympic-cycle driven. Before the CPB appeared, the only baseball league on the Chinese mainland was the China Baseball League (CBL), founded in 2002 – and its ups and downs have closely mirrored whether baseball was an Olympic sport.

Moreover, the CBL's operational style has tended to be more system-oriented and institutional, which is exactly what Chen hopes the new CPB league can change.

The young CPB held its Spring Game earlier this year, with four teams concentrated in the city of Shenzhen, southern Guangdong Province.

It has now expanded to six teams for the Summer Game. Besides the Shanghai Orcas, the other five are: the Shenzhen Bluesox, Beijing Loongs, Xiamen Dolphins, Fuzhou Sea Knights, and Changsha Want Want Happy.

All teams are named after their host cities – an approach that helps clubs build an early fan base through local pride. The new venue in Shanghai also marks the beginning of a home-and-away format; it is understood that home stadiums for the Beijing and Changsha teams are also under construction.

Among the 177 registered players for the Summer Game, 31.7 percent come from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and 23.7 percent are foreign players – including some with experience in the United States Major League Baseball and South Korea's Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

The participation of high-level athletes not only raises the quality of the games but also helps local players develop.

The head coach of the Shanghai Orcas is Kim Yong-dal from South Korea, so the team also has a number of Korean players.

"We have many international players on the team. Due to language and cultural differences, it takes time to mould them into a cohesive unit," Kim told the media. "Our local players are very young and have a positive, serious attitude, but they need more training and matches to improve their professionalism and technique."

"I hope more people come to watch the games live," said Orcas infielder Yang Jin. "Once you've seen a game here, you'll be infected by it and fall in love with it!"

Chen hopes that CPB clubs will strengthen their connection with local fans through live game experiences, daily interactions, and merchandise development.

"Unlike the CBL, the CPB's goal is to attract fans and explore a market-oriented path. If this baseball park can energize baseball fans in Shanghai and even potential fans from the Yangtze River Delta region and beyond, then we will have achieved our objective," he said.

The Summer Game will run until late September. Although the surrounding facilities at the West Bund Baseball Park are still being improved, it is still well worth a visit for sports enthusiasts to witness this brand-new league and experience the charm of baseball.