Cai Jizhou

Cai Jizhou is retired longtime Vice President, China Baseball Association. In 1985, Peter O’Malley made two significant trips to China with great assistance from Cai Jizhou. In consultation with baseball and sports leaders in the People’s Republic of China, Peter was attempting to find the best location to privately build the country’s first field dedicated to baseball. Jizhou was most helpful during that process which resulted in the selection of Tianjin Institute of Physical Culture, Tianjin, for Dodger Baseball Field. Opening ceremonies were held on September 12, 1986 and the baseball field was used by amateur, college and professional baseball teams for three decades. 

In 1991, Cai visited Peter at Dodger Stadium to continue their friendship and discuss the progress of baseball in China. The two frequently kept in touch through the years. From a March 2, 2007 AP article regarding baseball’s development in China and Peter O’Malley’s involvement, “Cai Jizhou, a retired former Vice President of the Chinese Baseball Federation said, ‘That (the building of the China baseball stadium by O’Malley) has helped so much the growth of baseball in China.’” At the time, Peter was in Beijing to participate in International Baseball Federation congress meetings. Peter traveled back to Beijing on March 28, 2008 on the invitation of friends like Cai to see the new baseball field created for the 2008 Beijing Olympics that summer. He got a first-hand tour of Wukesong Baseball Field and met with Secretary General, Chinese Baseball Association Madame Shen Wei; Deputy Competition Manager, Baseball, Beijing Olympics and former Secretary of the Chinese Baseball Association Xuan (Susan) Zhang; Competition Manager, Baseball, Beijing Olympics & VP Chinese Baseball Association Gaochao (Walter) Li; and Cai.