BEIJING (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres will play the first Major League Baseball games in China at Beijing's Olympic stadium in March, the MLB announced on Thursday.
The Dodgers and Padres will play exhibition games on March 15 and 16 at the 12,000-seat Wukesong field, the venue for the Olympic baseball competition at the August 8-24 Games.
"I'm very proud to be a part of the first major league games to be played in China," Dodgers' manager Joe Torre told a news conference in the Chinese capital.
"It's such an exciting time for baseball to be in Beijing and for the young people of China to witness this."
The MLB has been working at the grassroots level to try to develop the game in China but most Chinese have had limited exposure to a sport dubbed "America's national pastime."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Nick Macfie)
