Dragon's Baseball Game

Wednesday night I experienced my first Japanese baseball game. The Nagoya Dragons were playing at the Nagoya Dome, which is a short walk from my apartment. I can always tell when I am headed home in the afternoon from work if there is going to be a game, because there are more people on the road. The close to my apartment there are lots of small empty lots, that are used for parking on game days. It will only cost you 2500 yen ($25 US). I was actually surprised tonight it was only 2000 yen so I wonder who, The Dragons were playing. Speaking of parking lots near my house tonight I can tell that the game is over there are lots of voices outside my apartment building just now. Some may have enjoyed a bit too much fun at the game, or may be the Dragons actually won the game.

I think I have mentioned before how weird it is that so much of the Japanese culture has English attached to it, including Baseball. The player’s shirts have Dragon spelled out in English, and their names are also in English. The songs they have to introduce the players as they come up to bat are all American. One of them is the player’s batting theme is Top Gun. On the Dragons team there is one African American player and every time that he came up to bat they played the first little bit of a rap song. One of the players was a Monk I think and so every time he came up to bat the crowd did weird Ohm…. Like they were meditating. Every batter had a different intro, so you knew who was coming up to bat. Oh please don’t ask me names because I do not remember any maybe next time.

The game was fun and we almost came back to win at the end. We had two men on base and if only the batter had hit a home run instead of a fly ball we could have one the game. The opposing team switched pitchers like 5 or 6 times it was crazy. One of the pitchers only through one pitch before they took him out of the game, I am not sure what the reasoning was. Maybe they won because of all the pitchers who knows, any way it was fun and for only 1500yen I will have to go again. The seats reminded me of going to Blazer games with Kristy we were in the top section but first row, not bad for the price.

I went with Justin and his brother who has been visiting for a bout a week. Justin is the crazy looking person in the picture I have posted, if he found out I posted it he might not be very happy we will see. (oh yeah I work with Justin at Kinjo)
I don’t have a lot to compare it to since I have never been to a major league game in the states, and I think I have only been to 1 minor league game in Portland. I believe Kristy may have dragged me too a few high school games.
I know the basic rules and of the game, so no worries there. However now that I have seen a game here I think I need to see a major league game in the states, maybe my Uncle will take me to a Dodgers game when I get home?
Oh yeah a side note. I am now legally working in Japan I got the little sticker in my Passport that will allow me to work for the next year. Next Wednesday after Golden Week, I will work on getting my alien registration card and a bank account. Then I can get things like internet and a library card, and a video rental card. Mostly it is the internet that I am interested in so maybe soon I can stop carrying my laptop back and forth!!!!

written 5/1/08