Yakyuu! (that's baseball) Bay Stars Style

I've now attended 2 baseball games here, but believe me, it did not take more than about an inning before I knew that baseball is indeed alive and well in the country of Japan. Even though it wasn't the Tokyo Dome and the Giants (most popular team in Japan), it was an impressive show of how much this country loves the game. The scene certainly didn't seem like the picnic you might see in the states. In fact, it seemed more like a European football match with less people. Trumpets in the bleacher seats, chants and songs whenever your team comes to bat, kids with noisemakers, mascots and cheerleaders that looked straight out of a comic book, and some rather impressive baseball to go along with it all. While it may not be the major leagues in terms of talent, it's pretty close, but the carnival in the seats rivals any crowd I've seen in the USA.

Game #1 -

Keyword for this game: Suspense. That's the word that means it was over by about the 4th inning, and the team we were cheering for lost by 12 runs, right? Oh, well then I guess that's not the right word.


Todd, Mark, and I walked out to the train station ready for baseball and the rain that looked almost certain, and after a short detour in the wrong direction on the train, we strolled our way over to the stadium to find some tickets. Since I'm all about the atmosphere, we opted for the cheapest tickets available, and found our way to the bleacher seats. Little did we know, the game would already be in hand for the Yakult Swallows by the end of that inning. We just tried to get used to the park, enjoy the show, and flag down the neon-clad beer girls for some familiar baseball refreshments. Oddly enough, food and drink is cheaper at stadiums here than it is in the states. Strange, because it seems to be more expensive almost everywhere else.

Notice the little kid waving behind us - classic.

Dog and a Brew - perfect pair

7th inning stretch, and no "take me out to the ball game!" WHERE AM I!?

The rain made things interesting just as the game started to need some excitement. I broke out the jacket and the umbrella to try and stay dry, but once the Swallows extended their lead to over 10 runs, it didn't really seem worth it to stick around much longer. After we left, the Bay Stars (home team) scored one in the 9th inning, but it was far from a comeback.

Final Score: Yakult Swallows - 17, Yokohama Bay Stars - 5

Just what I needed. . . more rain

After the game, we tried to make the best of our time in the big city, but on a Sunday night, the rest of Yokohama didn't seem to agree with us. We did find an underground club featuring a loud Japanese punk band, but 15 minutes later, after we sufficiently damaged our ears, it was time to move on. The rest of the night consisted of a long walk back to the train station, and a view of a pretty cool waterfront amusement park. I'll give you a picture of that since "taking a walk" isn't really a great story.

Game #2


Hector missed out on the first game and wanted to venture out there on Tuesday, and when I heard about plans for another trip to the stadium, it didn't take much to convince me. This game had about 100 times more excitement to it, and this time, the good guys won. I say "good" guys only because we were cheering for them. According to the standings, the Hanshin TIgers (away team) are in first place, even above the powerful Yomiuri Giants. Our beloved Bay Stars, however, are struggling just a bit, and currently reside 28 games out of first place. While their playoff hopes may have died weeks ago, Hector and I still joined the masses in cheering on the home team. This time, it worked. Some early scoring and some middle inning drama left us with a 5-3 lead, despite some threats by the Tiger batters. The closer for the Stars came in to shut the door in the 9th (popular player, judging by the crowd that rushed to the railing to watch him enter).

I really think I need one of those uniforms

Quote from the hat - "We Proud Yokohama. We Love Baystars." We sure do.

Side note - When a relief pitcher comes into the game on either side, he is DRIVEN in by a modified sports car. They built a seat up high so it essentially looks like a 21st century chariot. A bit different from the way we do it, but definitely fun to watch. Also, everyone should be happy to note that the mascots in Japan come out between innings just like in the States and fire t-shirts into the crowd.

Bullpen Car

Final Score: Hanshin Tigers - 3, Yokohama Bay Stars - 5

VICTORY!!!