China Daily, July 12 (Reporter Sun Xiaochen) The Home Run Derby X (HRDX) Home Run Derby International Challenge, a new event model launched by MLB, kicked off in London last weekend. The four teams with the deepest MLB history: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees compete fiercely, led by legendary player Nick Swisher (Nick Swisher), superstar Erika Piancastelli, rookie Richard Brereton, wild card member Daniel Corral and pitcher Justin Kunz The New York Yankees team stood out and won the London championship. This exciting new competition mode of
will continue to be staged in Seoul, South Korea and Mexico City, Mexico in September and October this year. The exciting performances of all teams in various cities will be counted in the standings, and the annual championship will be determined at the final stop.
Swing the bat to start the exciting first stop in London
Thousands of baseball fans gathered at the Crystal Palace game in London to participate in this new baseball event. In the finals, the Yankees met their old rivals the Red Sox. The encounters between the two teams have provided fans with exciting games and historical classic moments many times in MLB history. This time in London, the Yankees' rookie member Brayton earned double points through consecutive wins, and hit the last ball with all his strength when he was one point behind, achieving a "jedi reversal" and helping himself. The team won the London station championship trophy and shocked the audience. Superstar Piancastelli was named the MVP of the game for his powerful swing and excellent catching skills.
In addition to the exciting home plate hitting challenge, the fans were also presented with wonderful music performances and DJ sets, extending the carnival into the night. Hip-hop star AJ Tracey assisted as an on-site DJ, pushing the atmosphere to a climax again. It can be said that in this grand event, food, music, and content creation were all in one. MLB has also launched live broadcasts of events in many countries and regions. The domestic broadcast platforms cover Tencent , Douyin , Kuaishou, Weibo and BesTV , providing real-time simultaneous interpretation of live game results for viewers who cannot be present in person. Bringing the same colorful online audio-visual experience.
American actor "Cao Cao" (Jonathan Kos-Read), who once settled in China, served as the experience officer of the London station of this MLB HRDX Home Run International Challenge. He also visited the first station in London to share the exciting event and experience with international fans. Baseball culture.
Subvert the convention HRDX innovation has no limits
It is worth mentioning that the London Station competition venue is set in London's Crystal Palace Park. How can this park without an original professional baseball stadium be perfectly adapted to the baseball game? ——The MLB HRDX Home Run International Challenge has made innovations in both venue and rules. Home plate will be placed on a pre-built stage, and pitchers will also need to complete pitches on an extended elevated platform, which is equivalent to a performance ladder-like design. The "condensed" court size can also be flexibly adjusted according to the venue, adapting to many different scenes such as holiday playgrounds or stadiums, creating more possibilities.
The venue has "shrunk", but the excitement has only increased. Different from previous home run contests, the MLB HRDX Home Run International Challenge will have a more compact rhythm and more diverse scoring methods. The batter can swing a total of 25 balls and has 10 opportunities to give up the swing.
In addition, the competition scene has a strong lineup and "stars shine". In addition to seeing former major league All-Stars and World Series champions such as Jonny Gomes and Adrián González showing off their power on the field, fans also There are top players in women's softball, promising rookies on the court, and wild card members who participate in cross-border competitions, and they collide together to create a different kind of chemical reaction.
Fertile soil to rely on HRDX 2023 is expected to land in China
The MLB HRDX Home Run International Challenge landing in London is also one of MLB's important measures to lay out the international market. After the first stop in London this year, Seoul, South Korea and Mexico City, Mexico will take over and continue the competition.By 2023, MLB plans to expand the hosting cities of the HRDX Home Run International Challenge to 8 cities. This fun event with universal participation is expected to be launched in China.
MLB HRDX International Home Run Challenge has restarted after a comprehensive upgrade. London is the first stop to nurture it from scratch, providing valuable experience for whether, where and how the event can be held in China in the future.
Qi Dong, Managing Director of MLB China, who was at the London event, expressed his immersive emotions and many feelings, "In addition to the game itself, this new format also brings the wonderful baseball Culture and lifestyle are brought to the audience, accompanied by a carnival baseball feast of food and music, which injects more vitality into the emerging baseball market. The successful hosting of the London event will serve as a good inspiration and demonstration for the Chinese market. For influential international events such as the MLB HRDX Home Run International Challenge, MLB hopes to start dialogue with more cities through baseball and inject cultural power into the 'baseball world'. "
has received strong support from the country in recent years. Since then, baseball has not only gained a broader mass base in China, but has also been supported by more and more hardware resources. Many cities in China already have professional baseball venues. It is reported that Hangzhou Asian Games has built the largest domestic standard baseball and softball stadium that is in line with international competitions specifically for the baseball and softball project. MLB Major League Baseball Asia Pacific Baseball Development General Manager Rick Dell also personally participated The Asian Games baseball (softball) sports and cultural center baseball stadium has been completed and put into use on June 30, fully preparing for the introduction of more international events.
The more flexible MLB HRDX Home Run International Challenge, based on London's Crystal Palace Park, brings more imagination to the implementation of the Chinese game, Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest), China National Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo... many Venues that tell unique Chinese stories can provide a fertile ground for the MLB HRDX Home Run International Challenge to truly come to your doorstep.
Events Feedback MLB helps China's baseball power
The introduction of advanced international events is undoubtedly a two-way positive move for the Chinese baseball market, which is still in the development stage. With an excellent event platform and colorful audience experience, we will feed back the growing Chinese baseball culture and allow more people to join the baseball family.
revitalizes the passion for baseball and attracts all people to participate in baseball. This is also the direction MLB has been working towards. Whether it is the MLB CUP Youth Baseball Open, First Pitch Baseball Charity Class and MLB offline viewing party, or it is committed to introducing international events and building a high-quality competitive platform, MLB has been deeply involved in the Chinese baseball market for fifteen years. Self-innovation and always sparing no effort to achieve the goal is to rejuvenate the power of Chinese baseball and lead Chinese baseball to the world.
Source: China Daily
