Pirates hope to find treasure in 'Sea'

Shanghai teen set to showcase pitching prowess for Pittsburgh

When the Pittsburgh Pirates came calling, Gong Haicheng was thrilled to join their swashbuckling crew.

But a week after becoming the youngest graduate of China's three MLB development centers to sign with a Major League Baseball club, the 18-year-old right-handed pitcher from Shanghai is still overwhelmed.

Known as "Sea," Gong pitched for China at the World Baseball Classic in March, giving up one hit and recording an out in a 7-1 loss to Japan. He also threw 15 scoreless innings at the Asia U18 championship last fall in Taiwan, where he was named the tournament's top right-hander.

Gong Haicheng, an 18-year-old graduate of the MLB development center in Changzhou, signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates last week. The right-handed pitcher - nicknamed 'Sea' - will report to the Pirates' Gulf Coast League affiliate in Bradenton, Florida, next month. Provided to China Daily

"It's difficult to describe," Gong said of his diamond journey that culminated with signing a contract with the Pirates last week. "I only know I had to work hard and keep training in order to play at a higher level of baseball.

"My first exposure to the game was during primary school (Shanghai Gaodong Elementary School), when the MLB Play Ball! program came for a visit. My PE teacher recommended I try baseball. I started to love the interesting game and played pretty well before I was recruited by the development center at Changzhou Beijiao High School."

Gong was awestruck about representing Team China at the World Baseball Classic in March.

"The WBC was a big stage, and I was a little taken back about seeing and meeting star players from around the world," he said.

"By playing in such a big tournament, I improved my ability to cope with psychological pressure on a big stage. I also learned a lot from my senior teammates, who were very welcoming to me."

Gong, who will report to Pittsburgh's Pirate City complex in Bradenton, Florida, to begin his professional career with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates, has made several trips to the United States, including a two-month stint at the Blue Claws Baseball Academy in Lakewood, New Jersey, last fall.

"I had the chance to see some minor league teams in the US. The players are only a year or two older than me, but I found their skill level much higher," he said.

"All I can do is train hard and gain more experience in order to reach higher levels."

Rick Dell, general manager of baseball development at MLB Asia, said Gong's progression from the development center at Changzhou Beijiao High School is a glowing testament to the program's success at both the athletic and academic levels.

"Sea is a product of our MLB Play Ball! program," said Dell. "His story is not limited to being signed by the Pirates; it's also about being accepted by Shanghai International Studies University, which means that during the offseason he'll be working toward his academic degree, along with continuing his baseball training."

To promote the sport in conjunction with the academic study that Chinese parents demand, student athletes at the development centers combine classes with intense baseball training.

"The combination of baseball and academic study gives our student athletes the confidence to aspire and to believe in their success, on and off the field," Dell said.

Outfielder Xu Guiyuan, signed by the Baltimore Orioles in 2015, was the first player from MLB's three development centers in China to sign with an MLB club. But unlike Gong, Xu played for a local team before being recruited to the DC. He launched his pro career with the Gulf Coast Orioles last season, collecting 20 hits, 9 RBIs and a .247 average in 81 at-bats.

Over the past four years, 27 development-center grads have gone on to attend Chinese universities, five are attending universities in the US, three work fulltime at the centers, 12 play in the Chinese Baseball League and four players and two coaches represented Team China at WBC.

"Combining baseball with academic study, that's really a key element of our success," Dell said.

Gong's teammate at the WBC, Chinese-American infielder Ray Chang, is now the head coach at MLB DC in Nanjing. He has some sage advice for the young pitcher.

"We're in a historic moment for baseball in China, but at the same it's a big day for Sea. I hope he enjoys the moment. It can go by very quickly, and I want him to enjoy every minute of it. He earned it through his hard work and passion."

Chang played Triple A ball in the US and narrowly missed a call-up by the Kansas City Royals due to an injury.

"Playing in the US is going to be a new and different experience for Sea, and my advice for him is to just stay humble," said Chang.

"There are a lot of distractions in professional baseball, good and bad. Sea is such a good kid, and he works very hard. He earned this great opportunity, so my best advice is for him to stay humble, stay straight and continue to work hard and just be himself."

Chang said Chinese players have to work extra hard to bridge the gap in North America.

"In my opinion, the biggest thing is experience, not only game experience, but also off-field experience ... like watching baseball on TV and studying other teams.

"At the DC we try to make Chinese kids understand what makes this game so great. Baseball is very complicated, and on the field there are a lot of rules you need to understand.

"We teach them that, and in return they develop a love and a passion for the game, which makes them want to learn more about it."

Meanwhile, Dell said he wouldn't bet against MLB following in the footsteps of the NBA and NHL by hosting preseason games in China

"That's a real possibility; staging MLB games in China is certainly something we would like to do in the future," he said.

"Maybe something like hosting an All-Star tour or an opening-day game."

yangxinwei@chinadaily.com.cn

Talent search starts with kids

Major League Baseball established its first Chinese development center at Wuxi's Dongbeitang High School in 2009, followed by Changzhou in 2011 and Nanjing in 2014.

"MLB development centers are recruiting kids between the ages of 12 and 14 all over China," said Wang Peng, MLB China's acting managing director. "Our MLB Play Ball! initiative has been the most important talent pool for the DCs, with 60 percent of our players coming out of that program."

Rick Dell, general manager of baseball development at MLB Asia, said the DCs are striving to keep up with the times.

"As we get more players, our needs increase in terms of coaching and even facilities," said Dell. "Gong Haicheng is a good example. He spent two months in the US last year. We couldn't have done that six years ago, because there was no need; our players were not so developed. But as our programs produce more players like Gong and Xu Guiyuan, we're looking at how to put more resources into doing things."

As for future expansion, Dell said: "We're not considering expansion right now. When we create a need for more, we go for more. Since we came to China we are only doing what we're prepared to accomplish.

"For example, six years ago we did not send players to the US for experience. Now we have that kind of need because they're going to play there one day. As we get more players and see a need to expand, we will. We aim for quality, not quantity, and that's why we're successful.

"Still, the DC program has grown. We now have junior Play Ball!, we have learning centers and batting centers, because we see a need to get players involved at a younger age, at five or six, instead of at age 11 or 12."