China helping expand Yankees Universe
In baseball parlance, the number of Chinese stepping up to the plate is staggering - even if most don't comprehend the connection.
It seems no matter where you travel in this vast country - Beijing or Harbin, Shanghai or Macao - it's next to impossible to stroll the streets or shopping malls for more than a few minutes without spotting the ubiquitous interlocking "NY" insignia of the world's most fabled professional sports franchise.
From toddlers' jackets and backpacks to weather-beaten caps donned by grizzled street cleaners and stylish handbags toted by cute coeds (or their sheepish boyfriends), a growing array of products worn or carried by trendy Chinese - male and female, young and old - advertises their unwitting affinity for the New York Yankees.
