Cricket is a religion in India and no other sport comes close. But Major League Baseball believes that baseball, which is a huge hit in the United States, can actually develop in the country alongside cricket.

Major League Baseball coaches Jeff Brueggemann and David Palese are currently on a month-long visit to India in an attempt to spread the game.

"I have seen cricket, but I don't know the rules. But from what I have seen, I think there are some very good similarities from which you can build very good foundations for the baseball players, like swinging of the bat, hitting the ball, the hand-eye co-ordination, some throwing which is little different mechanics. But not as much running is involved in baseball and also not much strategy," Brueggemann told rediff.com in Mumbai.

The Brueggemann and Palese interacted with children from across Maharashtra at the American School in suburban Mumbai on Friday during a two-day programme, organised by The Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy. Their clinics will cover Indian coaches and sports teachers, baseball players and novices, who are keen to learn the game.

"Getting baseball in the schools is one of the first things. You need to have a youth programme, so that kids can get out there and play. That's what they have to start with. They have to start from a young level to enjoy the game. In the US it is a family deal, you start from a very small age and everyone in the family plays the game. It's constant in America," said Brueggemann.

Palese, who is also a coach with MLB, feels that anyone willing to take up the sport must start from a very young age. Even though there are a few similarities between baseball and cricket, a grown-up cricketer cannot switch on to baseball.

"It's impossible to switch over. I think you go to start at a very small age. American players spend around 5 or 10 years in the minor leagues, learning how to play professionally before they make it to the Major League," he said.

"It's a difficult game and takes a long time to learn the different intricacies of the game. You can't make the adjustments immediately and it takes a bit of time," Palese added.

However, the two coaches, believe that maybe a fast bowler could make it big in baseball if he has the right speed.

"Probably the only position they could do it could be as the pitcher. It's just like the bowler in cricket. If a guy threw around 100 miles an hour, then maybe find a way to get him into the big league in a short order," Brueggemann said.

The duo also said they were quite impressed by the response they got from the kids in Imphal.

"The support and the interest for the game in India has been awesome. It has been a great experience. We were in Manipur for 10 days and the response was just unbelievable. There were many kids playing and they were craving for more baseball," said Palese.

"Imphal has around 1,50,000 people but they have a very strong base. They have been playing baseball since World War 2. They love the game and have tremendous passion for it. It's bigger than cricket there and the culture is just phenomenal. They care so much about the kids there and they want to develop them," he added.

They feel that it is not difficult for India to take up the sport and develop it by encouraging small kids to play.

"You got 1.1 billion people here and they want an outlet for athletic activities. I have no doubt in my mind that baseball could be a good alternative for some kids. It's not gonna push cricket aside, but it can coincide with it.

"The best way to start with youth programmes with little kids playing in schools or communities. You could have a team from a region or school competing with a team from another region or school and so on. Giving the youth a chance to participate and developing their skills is a good way of spreading the game," Brueggemann added.

The coaches said that contrary to belief, baseball is a very inexpensive game.

"Baseball can be a very inexpensive game. You have countries like Cuba or Dominican Republic, where kids play with a broomstick. They take a nut off the tree, wrap some tape around it and start playing the game, without any money at all.

It's like any other sport wherein the more you get into it, the more money you need maybe for buying nice gloves, nice bats," they said.

Brueggemann and Palese have already conducted clinics in Kolkata and Imphal before this stop in Mumbai. They will also be visiting Delhi, Goa [Images], Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Chennai to educate the youth about the game and try to spread it all over India.

"I have been working with international baseball for quite a few years now to try and develop the game. It's about education of the game and giving people the chance to know what it is all about," Brueggemann said.

The two-day programme in Mumbai was inaugurated by United States Consul General Michael on Friday.

Photograph: Harish Kotian