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GulfLander

Brigadier
Registered Member
def333 said:
Baseball │ Lin Yi-Chuan Set to Become “Shanghai Shen-Chuan”! Report: Veteran Slugger to Join CPB’s Shanghai Zhengda Dragons with a Monthly Salary of RMB 40,000

VL Sports
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 – 5:31 PM

Recent reports indicated that 40-year-old former Uni-President 7-ELEVEN Lions star Lin Yi-Chuan—known to fans as “Shen-Chuan”—was interested in heading to mainland China to play in the China Professional Baseball City League (CPB). According to multiple media outlets today (Dec. 9), Lin Yi-Chuan has indeed decided to join the Shanghai Zhengda Dragons, although his monthly salary will be lower than before, reportedly around RMB 40,000 (approximately NT$180,000).

Lin Yi-Chuan, now 40, was not offered a new contract by the Uni-Lions after the 2024 CPBL season and was released. He subsequently failed to attract interest from the other five CPBL clubs during free agency. Media reports noted that Lin was highly motivated to “head west” and join the China Professional Baseball City League, which begins play on January 1 next year, and that the Shanghai Zhengda Dragons were the likely landing spot.

Lin was selected in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Sinon Bulls and moved to the Uni-Lions in 2023. Over his career, he has earned Rookie of the Year honors, four RBI titles, three MVP awards, and captured the Triple Crown in 2013 by winning the batting title, hits title, and home run title all in the same season. Across 6,720 plate appearances in the CPBL, he recorded 2,013 hits, including 210 home runs, with a career batting average of .332.

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How's China's baseball grassroots progress?
 
S

supersnoop

Colonel
Registered Member
yungho said:
This is great to see as someone who personally loves baseball. These sports need to start from the grass-roots level and it's going to be extremely difficult to kick off when there's no culture and environment to facilitate continued participation from kids. Professionalization is the end goal and China often takes this top-down approach, but a strong grass-roots base needs to first be established. I personally don't have high hopes for Chinese baseball in the near-future, but hope this can go somewhere. Would love to see great rivalries between China/JP/KR/TW.
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He is not from China, but just a nice video of Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo speaking with his parents after being selected to the All Star Game and a tiny little bit of his Chinese heritage coming in the clip

 
Lethe

Lethe

Captain
39yr-old Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has announced his imminent retirement from international cricket, with the fifth Ashes test in Sydney against England beginning in a couple of days set to be his final appearance:
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Khawaja had a strong career in Australian cricket, cementing his reputation as a formidable opening batsman. But his influence off the field was just as profound: Khawaja was the first Muslim to play for Australia's national team, and spoke regularly on issues of racial bias and social cohesion, arousing considerable angst amongst the Australian cricketing audience which assuredly skews older, whiter and more conservative than the general population. Khawaja's advocacy for Palestine also brought him into conflict with the ICC. He
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in the press conference announcing his retirement:

“I kind of know why I get nailed a lot of the time – particularly over the last two years, I understand that I’ve talked about certain issues outside of cricket, which leaves me exposed, which a lot of people don’t like,” he said.

“I still find it hard when I say that everyone deserves freedom, and that Palestinians deserve freedom and equal rights, why that is such a big issue. But I get it, I put myself out there.

“Even when we talk about Australian politics, we get all these right-wing politicians that are anti-immigration and anti-Islamophobia [sic] and I speak up against it, I know people don’t love that. I feel like I have to, because where these guys are trying to divide, create hate and try to create animosity in the Australian community, I’m doing the exact opposite. I’m trying to bring everyone together. I’m trying to bring inclusivity into Australia, I’m trying to say ‘I’m the Australian Muslim from Pakistan, and I’m an Australian cricketer right in front of you who loves playing cricket, loves going out and doing everything that you do.

“We talk about integrating into the country – I’ve got a white wife over there who I love and cherish, and I’ve got half-Australian, half-Pakistani kids.

“That is very frustrating to me at times, and I know what the older generation, I know what people say about me – say in your spot, don’t speak about topics you don’t know, you’re just a cricketer, do your thing.

“But how do you think it makes me feel when people talk about immigration, or they start attacking Islam or Muslims for everything that’s going on?

“I’m an immigrant in Australia that came here at the age of five. It’s personal. When you start attacking my faith, my belief system, it’s personal. So I’m going to speak about that, because not many athletes do, and I understand why they don’t, because look what happened to me at the start of this series. I got absolutely nailed.”

[....]

“This game humbles you,” Khawaja said.

“It tests your patience, your resilience and your character. And if you’re lucky, it teaches you gratitude.

“Even on days that it doesn’t go your way, I hope I’ve inspired many children along the way, particularly those who feel that they are different, those who feel they don’t belong, or those others tell they will never make it. I felt all these things growing up, and trying to be an Australian cricketer, but seeing is believing.

“I’m a proud Muslim, coloured boy from Pakistan who was told that he would never play for the Australian cricket team. Look at me now. And you can do the same.

“As I walk off for the last time, I do so with gratitude and peace. Or as we say, ‘salam’. Grateful for the journey, the people, the lessons. Thank you for letting me live my dream and for sharing it with me.”
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Hopefully fate smiles upon Khawaja one last time and he can go out scoring a magnificent century. Thanks for fighting the good fight, Uzzie.
 
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