Baseball in Japan: Orix Buffaloes of Osaka vs. Eagles
After I had the chance to go to a baseball game in Taiwan years ago, Neil wanted to see a game in Japan--it did not disappoint.
Details I especially liked during the game:
-A large cheering squad for each team resides in the outfield. They lead situation-specific or player-specific chants with brass horns and large drums. When they weren't leading, no one cheered.
-Fans sang with their team's chants and keeping time with their noise-maker clappers (the words to each chant are printed in the back of the game day magazine so that you can sing along, if you read Japanese).
-Neil learned the Willy Mo Pena cheer, and it worked. The second time Neil cheered, Willy Mo hit a home run!
-The home team has a female dance squad, the "B-girls," who also led cheers with dancing and lip syncing between innings.
-If you don't know the towel dance, there are ten step directions with visuals also in the game day magazine.
-The stadium is pretty cozy, which allowed us to hear the players in each dugout cheering for their teammates.
-The beer vendors sell beer out of the kegs in their backpacks, they also sell beer snacks, and they are cheerful.
-Being an avid fan requires just more than a jersey and noise makers. There was a "K" strikeout flag for the starting pitcher, #19. Additionally, many fans had a special flag to wave when #7 batted. Also, there were player-specific towels with the caricature image of the player.
-Neil appreciated how well the coaches implemented the baseball philosophy of sabermetrics.
The 7th inning stretch was same, same, but different. There was singing and stretching during the middle of the 7th inning. And there were balloons that were blown up before the singing started, and then the balloons were released at the end of the song.
Some traditions translate differently:
-What I foolishly hoped were a tray of nachos were actually a tray of sushi with wasabi and chopsticks. I was having a ballpark craving.
-Whistles. Each usher seemed to have a whistle. When a ball went out of play, ushers in the nearby sections blew their whistles to alert fans. In a country that has flash lights attached to the headboards of beds in hotel rooms, emergency SOS buttons in bathroom stalls, and more AEDs (automatic electronic defibrillators) than I have ever seen--I shouldn't have been surprised.
-Taking turns. Each team cheered energetically; yet they never cheered over each other. The Buffalo fans never cheered when an Eagle batter was in the box. (Until the 9th inning)
-Balloons--an integral part of the 7th inning stretch and the victory celebration.
