Gui Yuan Xu (Itchy)

[scOtt]

I understand all the jokes and hyperbole in this thread. They write themselves.

We signed the FIRST "prospect" out of this 6 year old MLB China project that nobody ever heard of. Never heard of the program and certainly never hear of Itchy.

Where is the downside of this? We are the FIRST team with it's foot in the door of a billion plus market for players AND marketing. Signed for peanuts. The video looks like he has a pretty quick bat. He has been an award winner in the program.

I mean, we can all make jokes and stuff but it's pretty petty. Even from the owner of the site.

[Going Underground]

I understand all the jokes and hyperbole in this thread. They write themselves.

We signed the FIRST "prospect" out of this 6 year old MLB China project that nobody ever heard of. Never heard of the program and certainly never hear of Itchy.

Where is the downside of this? We are the FIRST team with it's foot in the door of a billion plus market for players AND marketing. Signed for peanuts. The video looks like he has a pretty quick bat. He has been an award winner in the program.

I mean, we can all make jokes and stuff but it's pretty petty. Even from the owner of the site.

You are right. On the biggest media website in China it was one of the top stories in Sports.

They call him Itchy. Or if the staff members of MLB's Development Center in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, are feeling particularly clever, they call him Itchy Shoe, because "shoe" is how his surname is pronounced.

http://www.china.org.cn/sports/2015-07/21/content_36113906.htm

[DrungoHazewood]

Left handed throwing infielder...hum doesn't that mean 1st baseman or are they going to start running bases clock wise??

Where Billy Hulen failed maybe Itchy can succeed. My son Nate is a lefty, and at the age of eight he knows who Jack Clements was and he's still entertaining the thought of becoming the first regular lefty catcher since Mr. Clements retired back in double-aught.

I understand all the jokes and hyperbole in this thread. They write themselves.

We signed the FIRST "prospect" out of this 6 year old MLB China project that nobody ever heard of. Never heard of the program and certainly never hear of Itchy.

Where is the downside of this? We are the FIRST team with it's foot in the door of a billion plus market for players AND marketing. Signed for peanuts. The video looks like he has a pretty quick bat. He has been an award winner in the program.

I mean, we can all make jokes and stuff but it's pretty petty. Even from the owner of the site.

I'm completely support this move, and all the other zero-risk stuff they've done that has gotten snarky jokes in response. Developing new international talent pools is one of the keys to the future of the game, and potentially big for the organization.

[Can_of_corn]

You are right. On the biggest media website in China it was one of the top stories in Sports.

They call him Itchy. Or if the staff members of MLB's Development Center in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, are feeling particularly clever, they call him Itchy Shoe, because "shoe" is how his surname is pronounced.

http://www.china.org.cn/sports/2015-07/21/content_36113906.htm

I'm sure there was a lot of buzz when the Pirates gave those two guys from India contracts.

If this kid doesn't pan out it won't mean anything.

And the odds are very long on him panning out.

That being said the risk is almost non-existent.

[DrungoHazewood]

I'm sure there was a lot of buzz when the Pirates gave those two guys from India contracts.

If this kid doesn't pan out it won't mean anything.

And the odds are very long on him panning out.

That being said the risk is almost non-existent.

If I were Duquette I'd have an ongoing program to do things like that Indian gameshow. Focused on Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies. Many of baseball's earliest stars like the Wrights were also cricketers. Many of the skills translate. Some of those places have lower income levels that incentivize getting good at lucrative sports.

[Can_of_corn]

If I were Duquette I'd have an ongoing program to do things like that Indian gameshow. Focused on Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies. Many of baseball's earliest stars like the Wrights were also cricketers. Many of the skills translate. Some of those places have lower income levels that incentivize getting good at lucrative sports.

I agree.

Just saying I wouldn't expect this signing to make a significant difference from a marketing standpoint. The O's are not suddenly going to get 25 million orders for hats from China.

[bobmc]

I'm sure there was a lot of buzz when the Pirates gave those two guys from India contracts.

If this kid doesn't pan out it won't mean anything.

And the odds are very long on him panning out.

That being said the risk is almost non-existent.

Could the "almost non-existent" risk be absolute then? :scratchchinhmm:

Kidding aside - the fact that he's going to Taiwan sounds interesting though....

[DrungoHazewood]

I agree.

Just saying I wouldn't expect this signing to make a significant difference from a marketing standpoint. The O's are not suddenly going to get 25 million orders for hats from China.

No question. Whenever someone says an acquisition should pay for itself with ticket and merchandise sales I chalk that up as excited hyperbole. Chen starts are (or at least were) broadcast in Taiwan, but don't think I saw a single piece of O's gear being worn when I was there for a week. I did see one instance of a kid's O's jersey on sale at a night market.

[Stotle]

In other news the GCL Orioles now have a bigger TV deal than the O's. Take that Gnats and your stolen MASN money.

Unfortunately for customers, most of the televised games end up being shortened or cancelled due to rain...

[weams]

No question. Whenever someone says an acquisition should pay for itself with ticket and merchandise sales I chalk that up as excited hyperbole. Chen starts are (or at least were) broadcast in Taiwan, but don't think I saw a single piece of O's gear being worn when I was there for a week. I did see one instance of a kid's O's jersey on sale at a night market.

I did however see a thousand Japanese tourists in Florida when Kojo came. And a Hundred press members.

When justD posted her first Chen video, it got thousands of hits. From Taiwan.

[bobmc]

First we play against those Commies from Cuba and actually sign a few Cubans later on. Now we hire another Commie.....:cussing: Sounds like the Orioles are forerunners! :hearts:

[Can_of_corn]

No question. Whenever someone says an acquisition should pay for itself with ticket and merchandise sales I chalk that up as excited hyperbole. Chen starts are (or at least were) broadcast in Taiwan, but don't think I saw a single piece of O's gear being worn when I was there for a week. I did see one instance of a kid's O's jersey on sale at a night market.

Did you check to see if it was a knock-off?

[bobmc]

Did you check to see if it was a knock-off?

In Taiwan would a "knock-off" be a jersey actually made in the US of A? :scratchchinhmm:

[srock]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Xu will be assigned to the Gulf Coast League team in Sarasota <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/orioles?src=hash">#orioles</a></p>? Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) <a href="

">July 20, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Lets hope he impresses and gets a shot at the AFL.

Is 19 a bit young for the AFL?

[Can_of_corn]

Lets hope he impresses and gets a shot at the AFL.

Is 19 a bit young for the AFL?

Yes, the league in Australia would be a more appropriate choice.