Rounding the bases in Beijing

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The United States and Cuba faced off at the Wukesong Main Field on Friday under a blue sky shortly before noon, the U.S. in white uniforms and Cuba in red.

First inning, Cuba leads U.S. 2-0.

By the time I got into my seat with my red tea drink and loaf of raisin bread, the seats were pretty filled. Among those also watching in Section 7, behind the outfield, was Jake Harding, an American teacher and Beijing resident of four and a half years.

He married a Chinese woman and plans to return to the U.S. in September.

"I put up with the difficulties of living in a new culture," he said. "So what would I be doing in leaving here when it is the best time in the city's contemporary history?"

This past week, in order to renew his visa in order to remain in China, Harding had to fly to Hong Kong, spend the night and come back.

He also paid $44 for the ticket, 10 times the face value.

Harding says he was rooting for the U.S. in this game -- and for China at games where the U.S. is not involved.

He went to the U.S.-China basketball game on Sunday and said that he sided with the U.S. during the first quarter "because it was close." But as the game progressed toward the 101-70 U.S. win, "I just enjoyed the spectacle and hoped China could push up the energy."

The crowd was "electric" when Yao Ming shot the game's first basket -- and a three-pointer at that -- Harding said. Nonetheless, the Idaho native roots first for the U.S., second for China.

Top of the third inning, U.S. wins a double-play on Cuba with the bases loaded.

"U-S-A! U-S-A! Keep it up! Don't let Cuba win!"

Eleven-year-old Jasper Jiang led the chant among a group of Chinese, blowing into his horn. Born in San Francisco but now living in Beijing with his mom, dad and sister, Jiang is a fan of the Yankees and basketball -- but not of Yao Ming. "I like Kobe!" he said.

Among those joining Jiang's chants, a few feet away, was Tu Polun of Taiwan, his friend and cousin. From their position on the top row of the bleachers, they traded glances between the field in front of them and the ball field behind them, where Chinese Taipei -- the Olympic designation for Taiwan -- and China were playing in the other baseball preliminary. The view of the other field was obscured by its stands; the only thing visible were the scoreboards.

It was the top of the ninth there... China leading Chinese Taipei 3-2, before Chinese Taipei scored a run to tie.

"We want to see that game, but we don't have those tickets," Tu said. Still, Cuba and the United States represented the best ball teams in the world, he said. And it was an interesting game, he added.

If it were China versus the U.S., the group said that they'd root for both, not the United States -- or China. "We want peace," said Tu's friend, Chou Yi-Hao.

Among those who'd run over to the outfield section was Chien Bei, who lives in Taiwan and was sitting in the first base section where he said he was watching the China-Chinese Taipei match with binoculars.

Baseball is a big sport in Taiwan, he said, whereas here in Beijing, the middle-school contingent with which he was sitting wasn't familiar with the sport. He too couldn't get a ticket to the other game.

The song "Take Me Out to the ball game" signaled the bottom of the seventh inning here at the Cuba-U.S. game. But in our section, people were sitting in their seats and not standing -- and stretching -- as the song demands.

Things were much rowdier down at the section along the homestretch, where Andro Vasquez was sitting among other Cubans as well as Americans.

They'd adopted Chinese already, alternating between Jia You Mei Guo! ("Go U.S.!") and Jia you Cu Wa!

"Friendship is all over the place," Vasquez, now a resident of Beijing for a year and a half, said of the game. "Sometimes we bring beers, give it to them. They do it to us."

"There is a lot of friendship between the countries," he said. "We don't hate Americans."

As the game entered its 11th inning, a roar was heard. China had beaten Chinese Taipei 8-7 in 12 innings.

"I love your pitcher!" yelled a Cuban, as his team scored two more runs off the U.S. to lead 5-3. The United States didn't return the compliment, as American batter Jayson Nix got hit in the face with a pitch, sending the drama up a notch.

Despite the Americans' getting another run, Cuba would win the game 5-4, and everyone was on their feet.