Major League Baseball, the elite competition in North American professional baseball, is trying to replicate its popularity in China.

Before the debut MLB China match between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres in Beijing this weekend, MLB hosted a free clinic here for young Chinese players.

CRI's Ouyang Qian has more.

"The kids are coming in."

Beijing Fengtai Experimental School in the city's southwest is the site of the free clinic. This goodwill activity is part of the upcoming two-game baseball series by one the most commercially successful sports in the United States.

The chief coach of today's program is Jeff Brueggemann, who has coached baseball in China for more than a decade.

"Anybody of any shape and size can be a superstar. It is a perfect sport for China, a perfect sport for Chinese. You've got people of all shapes and sizes here, and they are strong, quick, good eye coordination. I think China is going to be a hot pit for it."

Since 2000, ten envoy coaches like Brueggemann have been sent to China to instruct players and coaches. Major League Baseball signed a development agreement with the China Baseball Association in 2003. Four years later, MLB launched a grassroots youth baseball program called PLAY BALL! in five Chinese cities.

The program has been incorporated into the physical education curriculum in 120 elementary schools in those cities. Beijing Fengtai Experimental School is one of them.

Three other MLB envoy coaches worked with Brueggemann until the San Diego Padres, one of two teams playing this weekend, let three players show the kids their skills.

Fengtai Experimental School Coach Zhang Gang learned some tips from a Padres player.

"We had many uncertainties on our minds when coaching the kids. We prepared some questions that we hoped these foreign coaches, particularly the pitching coach, would answer."

But the kids have the final say.

"Today's exercise is different from we usually had. As a rule, we run a longer distance at the warm-up. The way I learned to swing the bat today is different, too. It seemed to empower me more."

"This exercise is okay, not so different from our previous ones. But I am so excited to see so many American players."

These young Chinese players will be spectators at the weekend's double-header between the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers at Wukesong Olympic Baseball Stadium.

Ouyang Qian, CRI News.