Game Night

Tonight, we saw a Hanshin Tiger game begin on TV, so we bit. We hopped on the bikes and rode to the stadium to catch professional baseball game-Japan style! We left at the beginning of the second inning and were in our seats by the start of the fourth. Buying tickets? Be sure you stop at the sections closest to the highway. There are no other ticket vendors around the stadium.

Koshien Stadium is the oldest ballpark in Japan. It was built in 1924. Babe Ruth played here in 1934 in an exhibition game. This is not a stadium built for comfort. Wooden benches are the seats in the outfield and each stair is a different height. We spent 1700 yen each to get nosebleed seats in left center field. Before you climb the stairs, there are a couple of things you should buy: balloons and tiny bats to clap with.

I thought that the high school tournament was raucous! It is nothing like the professional game. The home team fans cheer, sing and chant non-stop. The only time there is a lull, is when the opposing team is up to bat, then the other team’s fans go for it. The opposing team has only a small section in the outfield, so the home team definitely has an advantage. For each batter that comes up for the home team, the fans have special songs and chants they sing. It is amazing seeing 55,000 people cheer for nine innings. The closest thing we have is the wave, but imagine the wave taking the entire time your team is on offense.

A family sat in front of us; a mom, dad, two girls and a boy. They each had on a different color Tigers jersey. They were black, yellow, white, light pink and hot pink. One of the girls shared her popcorn with Chrissy. Next to us a mother sat with her son. They shared with us too. In the 9th inning, she handed Chrissy two sushi rolls. We ate them and avoided the uncooked chicken in the center.

The lady also gave us balloons for the 7th inning and the end of the game. They have a tradition for the 7th inning stretch. Everyone blows up a long balloon, all over a meter in length. They sing a song between the top and bottom of the inning, raising and lowering the balloons in unison. At the end of the song all of the balloons are released. I saw several released from the lower part of the stadium rise up high enough into the air to be carried out of the stadium by the breeze. The same thing was done immediately following the final out.

When the game finished, no one left. The grounds crew came out and cleaned up the infield while cameramen and reporters gathered around home plate. A small platform was placed there and the winning pitcher for the Tigers came out and gave a little speech. The winning pitcher was a gaijin-and he spoke English. Everyone clapped for everything he said. Then, when the interview was over, they sang a victory song and then they sang the theme song for the Hanshin Tigers. It was almost 15 minutes after the game before people really began to leave.

Oh, remember, that when attending a game at Koshien Stadium, there is no parking. So please use public transportation. We rode home on our bikes. Our trusty 100-yen bike lights lit the way.