CLEVELAND, United States, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Major League Baseball (MLB) Vice President Jim Small said on Wednesday that he feels upbeat that baseball is taking roots in China.
"In many places like Japan and South Korea, baseball is very, very popular, but we want to engage fans in places like China into the sport. We work hard to grow the sport and I believe that we've made a lot of progress in China in just 10 years," said Small, who's just attended the MLB ALL-Star Game between July 7-9.
MLB has set up several development centers in China to help groom future local stars in baseball. A total of seven Chinese teenagers have signed with MLB clubs in recent years, but they still need to work before playing for MLB games.
"I've working in China for so many years and I've been excited about the process. And the sports and education bureaus and big companies are embracing baseball. More and more kids are playing the game," he added.
"I always think everybody in China is a baseball fan. They just don't know it yet. I also believe baseball is perfectly suited for the Chinese culture," Small said.
