- Beijing Tigers
The Beijing Tigers ({zh-sp|北京猛虎|Zhōngguó měnghǔ}) is one of the four charter teams in the
China Baseball League . The Tigers played at theBeijing Fengtai Baseball Field until 2006, when the stadium was destroyed and rebuilt as a softball stadium. Their current stadium for the 2006 season is located inLucheng , a rural area to the south ofBeijing .The Tigers enjoy the distinction of being one of the oldest baseball teams in China, with its history spanning well before the
Cultural Revolution .History
Professional baseball was introduced toChina in2002 with the organization of the Chinese Baseball League. The four CBL charter teams were the Beijing Tigers,Tianjin Lions ,Shanghai Eagles , and theGuangzhou Lightning . Since the inaugural season, two more teams have been added to the league: theGuangdong Leopards andSichuan Dragons . The Chinese Baseball League's season consists of approximately 30 games played April through July. At the end of the season, the two best teams in the league compete in the best of 5Chinese Baseball League World Series .uccesses
The Beijing Tigers are the most successful team in the CBL, having won three CBL World Series in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Nine of the Beijing Tigers, including the hitting coach, were part of the Chinese National Team in the
2006 World Baseball Classic .Their biggest rival is the Tianjin Lions, who beat the Guangdong Dragons to win the 2006 Championship Series. The Tigers did not make the playoffs, due to a roster replete with injuries and early retirements.
Roster (2005)
The opening day lineup for the 2005 Tigers was:
* Catcher:
Wang Wei (王偉) (WBC Team)
* First Base:Zhe Chen (陳哲) (WBC Team)
* Second Base: Li Lei (WBC Team)
* Shortstop:Ma Ke
* Third Base:Wei Zhang
* Right Field:Yang Shuo (楊碩) (WBC Team)
* Center Field:Sun Lingfeng (孫嶺峰) (WBC Team)
* Left Field:Jia Yubing
* Designated Hitter:Jiang Xiaoyu
* Starting Pitcher:Li Chenhao (李晨浩) (WBC Team)
* Starting Pitcher:Wang Nan (王楠) (WBC Team)
* Starting Pitcher:Zhang Jianwang
* Starting Pitcher:Zhou Jian
* Starting Pitcher:Xu Zheng (徐錚) (WBC Team)External links
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldclassic2006/news/story?id=2288431 ESPN story]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/24/international/asia/24beij.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5007&en=d7b213f2208fe320&ex=1400731200&partner=USERLAND NYTimes story]
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