Tianjin Lion celebrates a victory.

JIN: How do you see the future of baseball in Tianjin?

HFL: There is still a lot of growing to be done. The underlying framework is lacking. A big issue is funding. After all, there has to be something to motivate good players to stick around. The fact that baseball has been re-added to the Olympics is a big win as this will draw support from the government. In general though, baseball is still trending down when compared with the time around the ’08 Olympics. An issue is that it still isn’t really a mainstream sport in China. It can be tough to market, as the rules are unfamiliar to many, and we lack professional venues to play at.

JIN: As a pro player, what fitness advice do you have?

HFL: The key is “balance”. That is, don’t over train. Over training actually is a form of trauma to the body.

JIN: What are some of the biggest misconceptions about pro players?

HFL: Take me for example, a lot of people think since I’ve played so long, no doubt I’ve earned a ton of money. The truth is just the opposite. When we play away games, some-times we still take the train! While we do get a base salary to play, the only way to make extra money is to win at big tournaments. Things are better than what they were but still especially after retiring making ends meet can be a big question mark.

JIN: What is daily life like for a professional player?

HFL: Very routine. If you want to play well, you must have a solid training routine. At the peak, we train over 10 hours a day. Married players can return home each day, the rest of the team bunks together. We rise at 7 am and have breakfast, then start training at 8:30. Lunch is at noon, with the second training session starting at 1:30. Dinner is at 5:30 and a final practice goes from 6:30-9:30.

No doubt our chat with Hong Fenglian has been pretty insightful. Life for a Chinese professional baseball player is far from the glitz and glam of US players. The game really is still in a growing phase here. The players have to truly love the game as there isn’t a ton of opportunity at current to sign lucrative contracts. The next big event for the Tianjin Lions and Fenglian is September 3. That marks the beginning of the Championship series against the Beijing team. The first two games will be played away in Beijing. With the final three games being slated for September 9, 10, and 11 in Tianjin. It is a best of five series, so the events on the 10 or 11 may not be necessary. The venue in Tianjin is the Baseball Training Center affiliated to Tianjin Sports Center, located at Tuanbo Jiankang Chanye Park.It isn’t super easy to find and there is limited public transportation in the area. Expats interested in going should find a local friend that can drive them or get a cab. Note that the field isn’t huge, only seating a few hundred people. Plus after arriving at the gate, be sure to explain to the security guard you are there for the baseball game. The good news though is that admission is free!