2019年8月9日金曜日 - 
Kyle-Hanshin Tigers
A
few weeks ago, I went to my first baseball game in Japan, and I had an absolute
blast. Some friends and I went to Koshien Stadium and watched the Tigers play
against the Swallows. The Tigers ended up winning (the score was 3-2), though I
think I'd have had just as much fun if they hadn't.
I was really struck by the differences
between baseball games in Japan and the US – both in terms of the game itself,
and the fans. Baseball teams in Japan seem to follow a different sort of
strategy than American ones. The game's rules seem to differ a bit between the
two countries, which I think has caused Japanese teams to focus more on small
ball (scoring and advancing slowly, and incrementally) rather than constantly
hitting home runs. This leads to baseball games that are a bit more interesting
and nuanced than they often are in the US.
The fans at the game were another reason I
had so much fun. When Americans watch baseball, there's a good amount of
energy, but it tends to be a bit directionless. Japanese fans are enthusiastic
and incredibly well-focused – I was totally unprepared for how many songs and
chants there were going to be, and for all of those balloons to be flying
around after the 7th inning stretch. I know that the Tigers have a
particularly strong reputation for this kind of thing, but if other teams' fans
are half as energetic, I'd still be amazed.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the
beer girls. In the US, if you want anything to drink, you need to leave your
seat, find a vendor, wait in line, place your order, wait some more, and then
find your way back to your seat. At Koshien, you wave to a very kind woman
wearing a backpack full of Asahi, and she brings you a pint of
beer. For 750 yen! The last time I went to a baseball game in the US, I had to
pay almost twice as much money for almost half as much beer. My dad would call
that highway robbery.
To make a long story short, I've decided
that I really, really like Japanese baseball.
blast: 突風
ended up: ～でおわる
in terms of: ～に関して
strategy: 戦略
differ: 異なる
constantly: 絶えず
leads to: ～につながる
nuanced: 微妙な
tends to: ～の傾向にある
enthusiastic: 熱心な
reputation: 評判
remiss: 不注意で