Baseball in China

From an article written in 2004:

Today's NY Times looks at baseball in China, which has four teams and is hardly a national pasttime. The Times reports that China has a rich history of baseball, which dates to the early 1900's, but was wiped out by the Cultural Revolution in the 1960's. The man behind the Chinese Baseball League is Boston-native, Thomas McCarthy. With the teams in place, China hopes to improve their chances for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The Chinese National Team didn't make the Athens Games, but have an automatic berth for the Beijing Games.
The league, in its second season, currently has only four teams - Beijing Tigers, Tianjin Lions, Shanghai Eagles and Guangdong Leopards - with two more teams to be added next year. One team will be Rupert Murdoch's and the other will be the Chinese Army's team.

Willie, forgive me for my lack of paying attention to anything but my kids for the past few years, but they aren't playing baseball in the Beijing Olympics, correct?

The last announcement from the IOC in 2005 dropped baseball and softball from the 2012 games but included both for the 2008 Beijing games.

In a secret vote, the consensus was that baseball is too American to be included on the world stage.

Hi TSfan -
Williebobo is correct in that baseball is on the agenda for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but was voted out of the Olympics as of 2012 when the games are in London. We haven't heard anything lately about the China Baseball League (CBL) but my understanding is that they do have an automatic berth in 2008. Last year, prior to the IOC vote eliminating baseball & softball, MLB issued a press release about the CBL and took their MLB Roadshow to China. Here's a link to the article:
MLB in China

Since 1992, Goodwill Series has sent into Beijing China youth teams.

In 1999, we organized the Seattle Mariners minor league team to play the Beijing State Team.
My son Robert was a Mariners International scout and signed **** Cho age 16 for the Seattle Mariners. He was the first Mainland player signed to a professional contract.

In 1997, Robert and I conducted the 1st clinics in China.

This year in December, we plan to invite 3-4 Chinese players ages 15-17 to join our SPALDING 1 WORLD TEAM IN AUSTRALIA. Three Venezuela players will join this team with our American players.

Mickey White, former Scouting Director, Carl Nichols [former Major League catcher] and Gary Wheelock, Mariners pitching coach will be our coaches.

Bob Williams

China seems as if it is a blank slate with just unlimited potential to have this game take hold. I'd love to get involved with this somehow, seeing as how I studied in China while in college. Do any of you have suggestions on who I can contact or how I may be able to get involved w/ the development of the game in China?

After replying earlier today I was thinking about Bob Williams being someone to talk with about baseball in China, and see now that Mr Williams has responded. My son went to China in 2001 with Mr Williams' Goodwill Series and played in Beijing. It was a fantastic experience that he thoroughly enjoyed!