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Published: April 24th 2008
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Best Seats in the House!
Thanks Bob, whereever you are. The seats were great! One of the things I had wanted to do while visiting Japan was to attend a baseball game over here. There aren't too many countries outside of the US where baseball is as greatly appreciated and played. I hadn't been to a game in years and I was eager to see what the Japanese take on America's past-time might be like.
Before I could decide on which team I would go see, a little good luck was blown my way. Matt and I were out in a pub in Nagoya after an event-filled day, which is another story all together, when we met another American, Bob. Bob had been living in Japan for about 12 years and happened to know one of the coaches for the Sendai Eagles baseball team. He told us he could get us free "friends and family" tickets to a game. He wrote down some characters in kangi on a slip of paper and told us to take it to the ticket office at Sendai stadium, and we would get free tickets on behalf of the coach. Sendai is a couple hours north of Tokyo. Matt and I had just spent the day shapping our itenerary
Baseball buddies
It's not normal for a Cardinals fan and a Cubs fan to enjoy a baseball game side-by-side without harassment, but nothing else is normal in Japan either. for the rest of the trip, and it was focused on the south of Japan. However, we could not pass up this opportunity. That just goes to show you that planning is over-rated😊
After arriving in Sendai we located the stadium and secured the tickets without any problems. Programs were handed out for free, which was a nice change, and we poured over which players we should watch out for. The program was all in Japanese, so it didn't really help much. After looking at the roster of players and playing the "which one of these is not like the others game", I deduced that Rick Short and Jose Fernandez were probably not local boys. Theirs were the only names in English, so it looked like they were going to be the ones we could cheer for.
The stadium itself, Kleenex stadium, was nice and felt fairly new. There seemed to be some sort of wild west theme going on with a "frontier" stage in front of the stadium, cowgirl cheerleaders, and old-time country music being played. As with most things in Japan, I didn't really know why. It was an intimate affair, and not a bad seat
Outfield View
Its a pretty intimate park and there is room to belt one over the bleachers. in the house. Bob had really come through for us. Our seats were behind home plate with a view straight down the first base line. We were 27 rows up and had a great view. The stadium doesn't even have an upper deck and there was a patch of grass between the left field bleachers and the center-field blind spot that fans could sit down on to enjoy the game. The measurements of the field were the same to any major league park back home, and it felt nice to have at least some sense of familiarity in such a different country.
Kleenex stadium had all the regular foods you would find back in Busch or Wrigley, like rice balls, suishi, bento boxes, miso soup, and noodles. Matt decided to have some exotic food, a hot dog and fries, while I enjoyed an all american shrimp dog and hurricane potato. In keeping with tradition, Kleenex stadium has drink vendors wandering up and down the isles selling refreshments. However, as with most things, there is a bit of a Japanese twist to it. Almost all of the vendors are girls, some wearing some very unusual vendor uniforms. The beer vendor
Yeibeisu Ona
Matt and our Bud Woman. girls walk around with a small keg strapped to their back and dispense it straight into a cup for you. All the girls wear knee-high socks with built-in knee pads so that they can kneel down and serve you. Maybe there is something that the American game can learn from the Japanese after all. There was no Budweiser or Old Style on hand, but a wider selection than you would find in most parks. There was Asahi, Kirin, and Yeibeisu to choose from. I yelled out for "Yeibeisu Ona", which I think translates to Yeibeisu Woman. I got some wierd looks though, so I don't think it is quite the same as yelling for a Bud Man.
During the breaks between innings, the entertainment would flow. Not content with just one mascott, the Eagles had 2. Clutch, a burgendy eagle, and Clutchina, a pink eagle would take the field to keep the fans entertained. I must admit, Clutch was pretty good. He did a few flips and breakdance moves that would trouble most people, and he had a big costume on! Mascotts aren't enough though, and the Eagles have their "Golden Angels" cheerleaders to get the fans going as
Hurricane Potato
The taste of the Huricane Potato is only matched the aggresiveness you must infuse in your voice when ordering it. well. Along with the mascotts and the cheerleaders, there was a whole cast of others which added to the confusion including a few cowboys and a jockey who looked like she was ready to compete in a horse jumping contest. In between innings, they would all descend onto the field and perform their dance routines. Oh yea, and there were also 3 guys in colorful costumes who kind of looked like fat rabais with glasses. Their names are Dr. Peperone, Ho La Piement, and O.J. Papurika. They would run around and into each other and just look pretty goofy in general. We learned later that these mascotts are there to represent the visiting team.
The cheering was also an experience. Japan itself is wrapped up in all forms of group mentality and cheering at the baseball game is no exception. When the Eagles were up to bat, all of the home team fans would cheer for the batter in a very organized manner. There were drums in the left-field bleachers which seemed to lead off the cheer. Everyone would follow by clapping their hands or banging together their little plastic bats that they had brought. Every cheer was the
Kneed a Beer
These girls are the hardest working beer vendors you'll find, and always with a smile. exact same with only the player's name being substituted for each at-bat. I thought I would inject some originality by singing the Jose Mourinho cheer from Stamford Bridge, but using Jose Fernandez's name instead. I got Matt to join in, but nobody else, altough I did get some approving looks and I have found the Japanese to be very receptive to the high-five, something the British need to work on.
The fans were great and each time the team was up to bat, the stadium went crazy. In contrast to America though, the fans would not make any noise when their team was on defense. This was the time for the visitor's fans to sing encouragement for their batters. Very organized. I didn't hear a single D-FENSE cheer.
Matt and I were settling into the game. There were many things that reminded me of past games at Busch stadium. A few old men next to us were listening to the game on the radio through their headphones, just as many fans do back home. I heard a rumor before the game that they allowed aluminum bats, but this proved to be a myth. Nothing but the crack of
Cheerleaders and Rabais
The Golden Angels are in front and in the back are Dr. Peperone, Ho La Piement, and O.J. Papurika! wooden bats was heard on the night. The rules were all the same and they seem to take a cue from the American League by using designated hitters. But just when you think things start to seem familiar, the Japanese have their own ideas. At the top of the 7th inning, the visitors fans all started blowing up very phallic looking yellow balloons. On cue, they all released them at the same time which made a screeching noise as they flew through the air. At the middle of the inning it was our turn. The people next to us had bought us some balloons, and everyone let their red ones fly. At the end of the game we all repeated it with the white balloons. It was very strange to say the least.
The game play itself was pretty good. We had learned that the Eagles were the 2nd to worst team in the league, but it didn't show on the night. It was a blowout at Kleenex field with the Eagles besting the Fukuoka Hawks 4 - 0. The same pitcher had lasted the whole game for the Eagles and was deserved the credit. Their designated hitter pulled
Seventh Inning Stretch
I have no idea where this tradition came from. off a homerun and Jose got an RBI with his powerful double. We tried to call Bob afterward to thank him, but could not get a hold of him. If you're reading this Bob, thank you. It was an amazing experience!
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J Pense
non-member comment
GOD-ZIRRAH!
Sounds like you're having a good time in JAPAN! Was I the only one who laughed at the (un)intended pun, "it was a blowout at Kleenex Stadium"???