An American Pastime

For our free day in Tokyo the group (Russ, Jeremy, Jane, Ian, Tony and I) went to watch a major league baseball game.  We watched the home team, named the Dodgers, play a relatively slow paced game (especially on the part of the pitchers) for nine innings, at which time we chose to return to the Weekly Mansion rather than watch extra innings.  The Weekly Mansion being the hotel we’ve stayed at since Monday May 16^th, and will be checking out  from Monday May 23^rd.  It was incredible to see both the striking similarities and obvious differences the Japanese sport has with the MLB (Major League Baseball).

Similarities…  

The game’s rules seem to play out much akin to its North American counterpart.  Four balls, three strikes, three outs, four bases, a number of umpires, and accompany equipment all mirrored MLB standards.  Hometown fans wore their full regalia and the visiting teams fans were contained and ostracized to a relatively small section.  Beer/soda was overpriced, and the game itself lasted a full 3 ½ hours.

Differences…

The differences between the two examples of professional baseball, in my opinion, outnumber the perceived similarities.  The fans attending the game today were in few ways similar to the fans attending games in the US.  Fans were constantly abuzz in a game which remained scoreless until the seventh.  Additionally, all fans cheered for outstanding plays, no matter which team on the field had made them, showing unparalleled respect and reverence for the sport and its players.  The energy felt was not limited to the sphere of occasional cheering as seen in the US; rather the Japanese fans sung numerous songs, sometimes with instrument accompaniment, which was present throughout the entire game.  Musical instruments were not the only things allowed into the domed stadium—unlike MLB games, backpacks, food/drinks, and giant embossed flags representing the team’s colors were also allowed. 

The stadium itself was smaller than I would have imagined, probably only 350 feet from home plate to homerun.  This made every seat one which would not put a strain on the eyes.  Nor were the tickets a strain on the wallet.  The price for my ticket was only 2000 yen, or $24.44 (USD).  Ticket prices for Fenway Park start at nearly 3 times that, for seats not nearly as good.

The last point of contrast which deserves mention is the interconnectivity between fan, player, and team (only intensified by the aforementioned stadium size).  This feeling of connection was the byproduct of numerous integrated elements before and during the game, which transformed the experience into something the MLB could only ever aspire to achieve.  Prior to the opening pitch, local children played pass and ran drills with the players of the home team.  During the game, players repeatedly threw balls to the fans, in addition to giving nods and high fives to reinforce a sense of connection.  Between innings mascots performed, cheerleaders danced, and fans were solicited via jumbo-tron to show their team spirit. 

The sum total of the 3 ½ game was an experience I will never forget, nor think will ever be surpassed by a regular season, or even for that matter post-season, MLB game.