All of the fans had these matching hollow, plastic bats that they would bang together. The fans were much more energetic than the spectators at the baseball games I've been to recently in the U.S. There's an incredible degree of organization. There are specific cheers for several Dragons players and plays, as well as the basic Japanese baseball cheers. It took us all a while to pick up on what people were saying, but by about the fourth inning, we had joined in on the near continuous cheering. There were four solid innings in which no one scored, so chanting and learning the various hollow bat cadences kept us occupied.
From left to right: Anne, Ellen, me, Jessica, Stephen.
The food was also quite a bit different. Tacos are notoriously bad here, so we avoided the taco stand. The typical baseball food: hot dogs, nachos, etc., was all expensive, so I opted for okonomiyaki. I tried to make okonomiyaki for my parents once, sort of unsuccessfully, and I've been dissecting it every time I eat in the hope that I'll figure out how to duplicate it back in the U.S. I don't know if eating okonomiyaki and green tea soft serve is the authentic Japanese baseball dining experience, but I was pretty pleased with it.
Here's a video of the opposing team cheering. It captures the crowd energy pretty well.
I definitely got the impression, with the number of people who showed up to the game and the enthusiasm of the crowd, that baseball is a big deal here. I in fact rode a Chunichi Dragons themed train to the Nagoya Dome. It's dark blue with players with intent expressions in the middle of epic pitches and unbelievable catches. There are player profiles above the seats, where the advertisements normally are. It's kind of refreshing to be in a city that's really into its sports, or at least one of its sports.
1 comment:
So I was totes gonna call you out on your lack of blog activity only to realize I hadn't checked in like a month and was thus the one at fault (bad Caroline!) In regards to your baseball post: you lived in new england for 4 years? How is possible that you think horribly rapid baseball fans exist? Also DC doesnt count since it is thoroughly 'Skins territory. I dunno, I think different sports dominate different cities. Since I spent my summer at Camden Yards or the new Nationals Park, it was pretty surprising to go to a Real Madrid futbol game and see thousands of rapid fans making almost continuous noise, along with an entire section marching with various flag waving (including a confederate flag for some reason).
Anywho I was reading an Sports Illustrated (I think) about baseball in Japan and how its difficult to build a national identity around it since the teams have corporate sponsors and the best players seem to always leave for the States. Dunno. But their little Leaguers kick major ass.
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