by Paul English
I am in hell. You see, one of hte things that brought me to Japan was a common love that America and Japan share - baseball. At my university I took a class titled "The History of Baseball." That was when I understood my admiration and affection for baseball. I guess that was when I went from being a spectator to being a "fan." I've been to a dozen ball parks in America and have a special team for which I root.
Having been to several games here since my arrival, I can say that in many ways the experience was everything I expected and more. I knew that the field itself was smaller than the Major League fields (in deference to the many Canadians, I'll use the location-neutral term "Major League" instead of American, as many Americans forget that there is a team in Canada.) However, the stadiums themselves are much more intimate than the fields back home. Yokohama Stadium, for instance, is an almost perfect circle and the "nose bleed" seats (ones far from the field) are much closer than their Western counterparts. So, the cheap seats (which are still more expensive than the cheap seats back home) aren't all that bad.
The fans themselves are INSANE! One of the things I always enjoyed about college football games (Go 'Cats!) was that there was this sense of community in the stands. 50,000 people cheering and singing together and rooting the team on together had a very special emotional impact on me. It was something that I never really got at baseball games. Of course, I lived near the Kansas City Royals and well, there hasn't been a lot to root for in KC since George Brett. But even on television at a Yankee's game, there was a definite correlation between the more expensive seats (behind home plate and up in the luxury boxes) to the amount of people who spent time talking on their cell phones and not paying attention to the game.
In Japan, almost EVERY fan is not only paying attention to the game, but they are cheering their team. Not only the team, but they have special chants for each player so that when that player is batting they have his special cheer ready. The entire stadium rocks with cheering and good times. In America, the outfield was where the cheap seats are and where it's less of a status symbol. In Japan, the outfield is where the true fans sit. These fans are called ouendan. At the home games, they are a special group of fans that have the job of playing their trumpets and taiko drums for the entire stadium to follow. They have special banners and lead all the cheers for all the players. Almost everyone in the stands has their own little plastic megaphones or sticks with which to beat along with the cheer being led from the outfield stands.
There are other differences between Japanese and Major League baseball. I was sort of irritated that I wasn't going to get the same eating fare I was used to. They have hot dogs, but they aren't in a bun - but on a stick! Of course, they have tons of lunch boxes (bento) and lots of regional fare in a box. Whereas in America you'd have to wait anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes for the beer guy to get around to you, there are literally dozens of beer, whiskey, and sake vendors walking around at any given time! They do wear incredibly gauche and painful to the eye outfits to advertise Sapporo, Kirin, and a host of other beer and alcohol labels. Chances are you might see one of your students in these outfits - I know I have! Another small, yet significant difference for me is the 7th inning stretch. Japanese people sort of understand the custom, but don't know the song. So every time I've been to a ball game, being the crazy gaijin that I am, I stand and bellow out the song - usually to the delight of the surrounding patrons.
Going to the ballpark is, on one hand, a uniquely Japanese event and, at the same time, a common experience that ties East and West. Knowing that I share this love of the game with so many others makes me very happy. However, it is certainly becoming evident to many in Japan, and a few in the West, that Japanese baseball is on the decline. A decade ago, Hideo Nomo left these shores and made a big noise with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although he is on the decline as a pitcher now, he has certainly blazed a path for other Japanese pitchers. Hideki Irabu was paid a lot of money by George Streinbrenner to revitalize the then faltering Yankees. He's now back here in Japan, pitching for the Tigers. Other pitchers like Mac Suzuki, Higetoshi Hasegawa, Kazuhiro Sasaki and Kazuhisa Ishii have continued the trend of great Japanese pitchers going to America. Then in 2001, a hitter joined the big leagues and in his rookie year was named MVP and Rookie of the Year - a feat that hadn't been done in over 30 years. Now, if you don't know the name Ichiro - you'll hear it plenty soon enough! It's been on the lips of the Japanese fan for the last 3 years.
This leads me to my opening statement. I'm in hell. You see, I'm a die hard Boston Red Sox fan. I'm a fan of nearly every Boston based team. If you didn't know, there exists a distinct and headed rivalry between Boston teams and New York teams. Specifically between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. As it stands, I have a deep rooted hatred for the Yankees. I don't care that they have the most World Series wins. I hate them. I don't care that they have the most talented team nearly every year. (Of course they do! They pay the most!) I hate them. What I care about is when the favorite son of Japanese baseball, Hideki Matsui, leaves the Yomiuri Giants (the Yankees of Japanese baseball) and goes to the New York Yankees. I didn't mind that everybody wore Mariners gear when I first got here. I'm in hell because everyone is wearing Yankees gear and I must be surrounded by every Japanese person who knows I love baseball asking me, "So, did you hear what Matsui did for the Yankees today? He's going to help the Yankees win the World Series for sure!" I am in Red Sox hell!
One other interesting thing about baseball here is that it starts from real young and is a big part of high school life. If you've noticed there are a lot of games being played everyday on TV screens in the train stations and just about everywhere. This is the All-Japan High School tournament. It's like the baseball version of the Final Four tournament in America. The best team from each prefecture (with 2 teams from Tokyo and Hokkaido each) go to Osaka and play in a single elimination tournament at Koshien Stadium - the holy ground of Japanese baseball. (And I mean that quite literally - after a loss, the losing team will take a tin of the ground at Koshien to remember the experience by.) This is a big deal with games every day for 2 weeks. If you get a chance, watch a bit and see how talented these 16-18 year old boys are ... it's impressive.