Don't forget your umbrella

I mentioned this briefly before, but I recently returned from a trip to Japan and had the fortunate experience of going to a Yakult Swallows game there. And it may have been the most fascinating and exciting baseball experience I've ever had...certainly up there.

Almost all of this comes down to the organized cheering section we sat in. Completely made the game. I can't speak to all games over there, but at Jingu Stadium (Tokyo) the away team has a cheering section in left field and the home fans in right field. In such a harmonious and polite culture we each took turns cheering. When the away team is up to bat, they go through their cheers, when the Swallows were up to bat it was our turn.

Basically, for the entire time our team was up, we were up chanting and cheering...keep in mind I said organized...about 3-4 park employees rotated innings, getting up on a platform in front of the right field fans to lead us in the cheers. These dudes went ALL OUT...they strained and screamed out the chants/songs/claps as well as using whistles and trumpets at key points (apparently) to lead us. So, when Aoki (leading the league in hitting) was up, we were led through the specific cheers for him and we smacked our plastic bats together in time. There were 3-4 different chants for each player...then Ramirez would get up and we would do his, loudly clacking and screaming the cheers. Some in English for the non-Japanese players like him...Home-run, home-run, Ra-mi-re-zu! He obliged us that night to tie the game.

I thought it was great that the fans were nearly all wearing a wide assortment of jerseys (not just the 2-3 stars) and brought their plastic bats to smack, but they came prepared with all kinds of props. There were paper fans for certain things, those bats, whistles, and when we scored...umbrellas. When Ramirez tied the game at 4 with a 3 run homer we went nuts, but then all these umbrellas popped up and we all sang some song and thrust them in the air to the tune. That happened with every run, a huge choreographed song with the umbrellas. It was crazy...had the feeling of an international soccer game...except way more civil and good-natured.

They don't boo over there either...when our starting pitcher walked in a couple runs in the first and we were down 3-0 we just chanted a couple good luck, you-can-do-it cheers ("Gambatte, gambatte, Mat-su-buchi!"), which was the only time we did any organized cheering during their at-bat. My roommate started to taunt the other team at one point and I stopped him, saying, "Brian, I don't think they do that here." And they don't. Harmony is important.

It was just so energetic. Even down 4-1 without much happening we were always into the cheering and behind each player...and then Ramirez (Alex) tied it. And next inning we scored 6 runs with 2 outs, hit after hit, umbrella song after umbrella song. And the Swallows won 10-5. Did we stop chanting and cheering...not for another 20 minutes after the game until the "stars of the game" came out to address the fans and throw a game ball up to us.

I'm sure much of this has to do with the novelty of it all, but it was SO fun. The energy was like a playoff game or something and we were involved in the game. There is a bit too much sitting in silence at a lot of MLB games if you ask me. But the hotdogs are tons better here.

I may write a little more about some of the differences I noticed, but this is plenty long enough.
Gambatte, gambatte...!