Talking Baseball: Ray Chang on CPB’s learning curve

“I tell these guys, ‘Just watch and learn’,” says Ray Chang when asked what advice he’s been giving the young players involved in Chinese Professional Baseball about the game and how to succeed in it.

And Chang is leading by example, after taking up the role of Shenzhen Bluesox manager for their title-winning first (Spring) season and having them surging on a four-game streak and at 5-2 so far in season two (Spring).

Catch the Bluesox in action and you’ll see him out there at the ball park, leaning over the railings and still watching and still learning after 25 years in the sport.

“I tell these young guys all the time, you actually learn more about the game watching than actually playing,” he says. “Because when you play, you know, everything is instinctual. What you’re putting in during practice, it just happens in the game. But when you’re watching on the bench, you’re able to soak in that information, and you are able to learn.”

Chinese-American Chang first came to the birth place of his parents in 2008, to take in the baseball at the Beijing Olympic Games. He saw a game in its infancy but he also heard about talent – and opportunity. Chang’s heritage had qualified him for the Chinese national team and the by-then veteran infielder took up the opportunity to play for them in the World Baseball Classics of 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2023.

Chang also took up the posting of head of operations for the MLB in China in 2017 – around the same that the government started really throwing its weight behind the game, with a return to the Olympics now looming in Los Angeles in 2028. And this experience – combined with his role at the Bluesox in this fledgling CPB national league – gives him a unique take on what’s going on with the game here. And what’s needed.

“I was blessed to be able to play a couple WBCs with Team China so that was my first exposure to international baseball and that’s where I fell in love with Chinese baseball,” he says. “I made that choice to come over here because it’s an opportunity to make a big change. I know this whole thing will continue to improve the game over here and its isn’t a one-person job, but to be a part of it has been extremely rewarding.”

This season Chang has been passing on his knowledge to a squad that includes MLB veterans including pitcher Touki Toussaint (Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland Guardians, and Chicago White Sox) and centre fielder Delino DeShields Jnr (Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds) but it also includes young Chinese players who will of course be vital going forward, if the growth of the game is to be realised.

His own playing career was a testament to what dedication can deliver, given the raw talent needed, as Chang spent over a decade playing through the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, and Cincinnati Reds systems – ending his time on-field with .270 batting average over 12 seasons.

Chang is one of the international coaches CPB has recruited for its second season – others include Cuba’s Noelvis González (Beijing Loongs) and the veteran Korean Kim Yong-dal (Shanghai Orcas). And he believes they are united in their purpose. Build.

“When you put guys together from different countries, different playing experiences, different backgrounds, it’s all about trying to find a way to mesh them all together,” says Chang. “So far this season, just seeing the communication between the veteran guys with all that experience and all thie knowledge and our younger kids, I mean, it’s absolute gold.”