Chinese Xu Guiyuan makes history by signing with MLB club in Wuxi

Xu Guiyuan, a 19-year-old prospect, has become the first player from one of the MLB’s China Development Centers to sign a professional contract — with the Baltimore Orioles. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY They call him ‘Itchy’. Or — if the staff members of Major League Baseball’s development center in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, are feeling particularly clever — they call him ‘Itchy Shoe’, because ‘shoe’ is similar to the Chinese pronounciation of his family name. The 19-year-old’s real name is Xu Guiyuan, but in his first week at the MLB DC in July 2010, he named All-Star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki as his baseball idol, and coach Dave Palese ran with it. But now, five years later, ‘Itchy Shoe’ is running into history as the first player from MLB’s three development centers in China to sign with a major league club. On Monday, the 19-year-old outfielder/first baseman inked a deal with the Baltimore Orioles. “Xu has been working hard at the MLB development center and we hope he’ll be the first of many future major league players from China,” said Orioles executive vice-president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. “He has excellent balance at the plate and very good left-handed power, which we think will play well at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.” Rick Dell, MLB’s director of game development in Asia, has been watching Xu play for several years, and he agrees with Duquette. “With Itchy, you have to like his hitting,” Dell said. “He really swings the bat well and has been doing a lot to continuously improve. He’s a lefty hitter with a good swing and good bat speed.” Xu was a two-time MVP in the China National Youth League — in 2012 and ’14 — as well as a two-time MLB Taiwan elite camp All-Star, in 2013 and ’14. He also won the 2012 China National Youth Baseball League home run derby and the 2011 Shenzhen Baseball League best hitter and most improved player honors. For MLB, though, Xu’s growth and improvement represents the success of its Chinese development centers.