Another swing at success

Facing an 0-2 count, rebooted league confident this version will be a hit

The country's most peripheral pro sport turned over a new leaf with last week's launch of the revamped China National Baseball League in Tianjin.

Founded in 2002, the league endured a series of economic challenges before suspending operations in 2011. It was reborn in 2014 but folded again three years later.

Now featuring teams in Tianjin, Beijing, Guangdong and Jiangsu, the new CNBL is finally on a solid footing after forging a strategic partnership with Major League Baseball in the US.

MLB is the oldest major pro sports league in North America, with 30 teams each playing 162 regular-season games to qualify for a four-round postseason that culminates in the World Series.

The relaunch of the CNBL marks a milestone in domestic baseball history and will help ignite development of the game here, said league commissioner Qin Xiaowen.

Wang Aiping, coach of the Guangdong Leopards, echoed that sentiment.

"Over the past 17 years I have witnessed the development of Chinese baseball which started with prosperity and exuberance, then endured some rough spots before finally leading to today's new start," Wang said.

"Baseball developed in the 'system' in China, which put much of its focus on the Olympics. When the sport was taken out of the Games after Beijing 2008, it was a major setback but baseball will return to the Tokyo Olympics next year, which is a big boost for us."

Wang said the league's reboot could not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of every Chinese player, adding: "A growing number of Chinese are showing interest in the game, especially in schools. I think that will continue, and more people will become involved."