カープ, カープ, カーウ 広島!

It was a beautiful day for some baseball!

I have never been a huge baseball fan. I'm more of a high intensity, full contact type sports fan, namely football and hockey. My parents tell me they took my brother and me to local games when we were little, although the only thing I remember from these "so-called games" is the hot dogs :) So when there was mention of going to a baseball game here in Japan, I was a bit reluctant.

I'll just say it now: Japanese baseball games are the greatest things EVER. This game we went to would easily make my 'top 10 favorite moments on JET' list. The energy of the crowd is amazing. Think of it as being a combination of the excitement of an 8-year-old running to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning and the insanity of walking up the various levels of a Don Quixote in Tokyo (just google image 'Don Quixote' and you'll see what I mean). The amount of loyalty and dedication Japanese baseball fans have to their favorite team is beyond description. Let's just say, if our NASA rockets could utilize such dedication as a means of fuel, we'd be having tea with Chewy and Han everyday at 4pm.

It wasn't the most memorable game in the world. The Hanshin Tigers dominated the Hiroshima Carps, 11 to 4. Each batter took their turn at the plate, hitting foul balls, 2-baggers, and even 3-baggers. We even witnessed a home run :) For me, the noteworthy part of the day was being fully immersed in the same moment with the thousands of people in the stadium. We all came from different walks of life, and yet, in these few hours, the game was all that was on our minds. Disregarding the mountains of paperwork due on Monday or the lesson planning for the week, all we cared about at this exact moment in time was whether Kokubo would strike out or not.

Oh, Japan. You never cease to amaze me.

There are some interesting components to Japanese baseball that have no American equivalent. One being the 7th inning stretch tradition of inflating falic-shaped balloons and shooting them into the air while singing a team's fight song. Also throughout the game, drums and trumpets would lead the fans in special chants specific to the players at bat. They even sell special sticks to help aid in keeping the rhythm. I have yet to learn the various motions and chants associated with the Hiroshima Carps, but have made it a goal before opening season next April.

My baseball commentator/slang educator, Kyle :)

I had such an amazing time at the game. Who knew baseball could be so exciting? Even though our seats were in the Hanshin Tigers cheering section by mistake (hehe, a bit awkward at times, especially when the Carps made a hit), we still managed to cheer our little hearts out (Japanese style) and have a grand ol' time :)


Hiroshima Carp Cheering Section (These guys are intense! Check it out!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY5RgphWMVg

Carp Fight Song (My goal is to learn the words to this song, and sing it w/all the passion in the world at the next game I attend!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B1gqR3AKKo