"PURSUE" by Ryo Takeuchi premiers in six cities in China

"PURSUE" by Ryo Takeuchi premiers in six cities in China
07/06/2022
The documentary is about baseball development in China from the perspective of two coaches. The MLB Development Center has proven key to the successful program.

PURSUE, a documentary by Ryo Takeuchi showcases the stories of two coaches themselves with different backgrounds as well as the stories of the teams that they scouted and cultivated, unveiling the dreams and persistence of two generations of baseball in China. It was premiered in Shenzhen, Haikou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan and Nanchang in China.

Takeuchi is a Japanese-born director who now lives in China. He tried to pursue a baseball career in Japan and was impressed by the strong development of the game in China.

He turned his camera to Ray Chang and Sun Lingfeng, two baseball coaches, and tried to tell the tale of baseball development in the country from their perspective.

"Baseball is a game of failure. Same for life, it not always succeeds. Baseball is the best way to teach these young players a life lesson. No matter what field you are in, always be the most hard-working person in the room," said Ray, Head Coach of MLB Development Center.

Coach Sun, former Chinese national baseball player, believes that it is possible to build a baseball player from scratch, stimulating talent and not only scouting for talent.

After the premier, Takeuchi shared his creative experience with the audience. The event streamed live.

Key to the development of the game in China is the MLB Development Center, a baseball program with an academic component. Over the last decade, MLB China has seen 114 student-athletes graduated at its development centers.