Paul Stanton
16th July 2008, 01:47 PM (13:47)
Everywhere you look today, companies in the U.S. are excitedly perusing opportunities in the “emerging market” of Mainland China.
1.3 billion potential customers are enough to make more than just Amway distributors salivate.
Major League Baseball is no exception -- I’m not kidding, I actually read about this in the New York Times. Honest … Major League Baseball has actually paid to send coaches, such as former Big League Manager Jim Lefebvre to China to try to teach them how to play America’s favorite past time.
Simply because the game is America’s favorite past time, was probably reason enough for Mao Zedong to ban the sport back in the 1960s. I’m not real sure what the penalty was if you were caught playing baseball, but I understand that you would prefer to be a vocal fan of the soccer team from France while residing in Spain, rather than face the sentence.
Perhaps in an attempt to nationalize the sport they could change the familiar seventh inning stretch chorus to : “Take out Chinese food to the ball game…”
Lefebvre was a good choice to lead the team since as a former Manager of the Chicago Cubs he’s used to coaching a bunch of guys who can’t play and won’t listen to instructions.
Oh, it’s not so much that they won’t listen; it’s just that no one on the team can speak a word of English so they can’t understand a thing he says. Fortunately, they do have interpreters -- if only they could keep them from constantly quitting.
I heard they went through no less than five translators in the first day!
“Once we’re in the Olympic competition, we’re gonna’ take it one game at a time,” the well-meaning coach started out. Although three different bi-lingual experts tried their best, none could manage to find an adequate way to express the thought in Chinese. Come to think of it, it really doesn’t make much sense in English either.
“I want all you’s guys to play your hearts out”, was an admonishment that was met with blank stares. Finally the interpreter embarrassingly questioned the coach, “Do they really fall out?”
“I expect everyone to give one hundred and ten percent”, barked back Lefebvre in an attempt to clarify. Unfortunately this sent the entire team scrambling for their slide rules and calculators in a desperate attempt to figure out just what on earth the coach meant.
It got worse – the exasperated skipper yanked off his cap, threw it to the ground and stomped on it. To his utter amazement, the entire team – to a man -- politely removed their hats, let them fall to the ground and then gently tapped them with their foot.
“All right, everybody hit the showers,” was the unstoppable leader’s final instruction for the day, until one of the few remaining translators gently challenged him. “Many pardons Mr. Coach, but we cannot hit unless we are first attacked. We sign non-aggression pact after Korean War.”
And it’s not just the language barrier that must be overcome -- it’s a cultural thing. The players must be constantly reminded that they do not need to smile when they strike out. You know you’re in a very different culture when in a force play at the plate, your runner stops in front of the catcher and politely bows as he is tagged out.
Being a low priority sport in China means that funding is scarce. Fortunately, batting coach and former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin thought to “moonlight requisition” the used uniforms of his previous ball club. So, more or less by default, but rather appropriately, the new team became the China Reds.
But the bottom line is, does the team from the host country have any chance at all of winning an Olympic medal?
“Anything can happen,” says a wishful Lefebvre. “Look, Seattle beat the Tigers last month, didn’t they?”
Can’t argue with him there…..
:laughing:laughing:laughing
1.3 billion potential customers are enough to make more than just Amway distributors salivate.
Major League Baseball is no exception -- I’m not kidding, I actually read about this in the New York Times. Honest … Major League Baseball has actually paid to send coaches, such as former Big League Manager Jim Lefebvre to China to try to teach them how to play America’s favorite past time.
Simply because the game is America’s favorite past time, was probably reason enough for Mao Zedong to ban the sport back in the 1960s. I’m not real sure what the penalty was if you were caught playing baseball, but I understand that you would prefer to be a vocal fan of the soccer team from France while residing in Spain, rather than face the sentence.
Perhaps in an attempt to nationalize the sport they could change the familiar seventh inning stretch chorus to : “Take out Chinese food to the ball game…”
Lefebvre was a good choice to lead the team since as a former Manager of the Chicago Cubs he’s used to coaching a bunch of guys who can’t play and won’t listen to instructions.
Oh, it’s not so much that they won’t listen; it’s just that no one on the team can speak a word of English so they can’t understand a thing he says. Fortunately, they do have interpreters -- if only they could keep them from constantly quitting.
I heard they went through no less than five translators in the first day!
“Once we’re in the Olympic competition, we’re gonna’ take it one game at a time,” the well-meaning coach started out. Although three different bi-lingual experts tried their best, none could manage to find an adequate way to express the thought in Chinese. Come to think of it, it really doesn’t make much sense in English either.
“I want all you’s guys to play your hearts out”, was an admonishment that was met with blank stares. Finally the interpreter embarrassingly questioned the coach, “Do they really fall out?”
“I expect everyone to give one hundred and ten percent”, barked back Lefebvre in an attempt to clarify. Unfortunately this sent the entire team scrambling for their slide rules and calculators in a desperate attempt to figure out just what on earth the coach meant.
It got worse – the exasperated skipper yanked off his cap, threw it to the ground and stomped on it. To his utter amazement, the entire team – to a man -- politely removed their hats, let them fall to the ground and then gently tapped them with their foot.
“All right, everybody hit the showers,” was the unstoppable leader’s final instruction for the day, until one of the few remaining translators gently challenged him. “Many pardons Mr. Coach, but we cannot hit unless we are first attacked. We sign non-aggression pact after Korean War.”
And it’s not just the language barrier that must be overcome -- it’s a cultural thing. The players must be constantly reminded that they do not need to smile when they strike out. You know you’re in a very different culture when in a force play at the plate, your runner stops in front of the catcher and politely bows as he is tagged out.
Being a low priority sport in China means that funding is scarce. Fortunately, batting coach and former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin thought to “moonlight requisition” the used uniforms of his previous ball club. So, more or less by default, but rather appropriately, the new team became the China Reds.
But the bottom line is, does the team from the host country have any chance at all of winning an Olympic medal?
“Anything can happen,” says a wishful Lefebvre. “Look, Seattle beat the Tigers last month, didn’t they?”
Can’t argue with him there…..
:laughing:laughing:laughing