If you've been following, you know that my work visa expires at the end of October. In order to remain in Japan legally, I needed to find a job quickly. And I did. Starting tomorrow. Which means I won't be going to any more weekday baseball games. With the minor-league season over, there was only the Tohto Baseball League, but I was hoping to see a few more of those doubleheaders. Even today's planned games were washed out, so it'll be next season at the earliest to revisit that league.I will be checking out some Tokyo Big 6 League action in a...
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
As I write this, the Toray Pan Pacific Open is taking place at Ariake Coliseum. I was planning to spend a day there but a spate of upsets has led me to change my mind. Venus Williams lost her first match yesterday, as did 1st-seed Dinara Safina. Serena Williams had already pulled out, so 3 of the top players are gone before the 3rd round. With the good seats going for over $100 for the quarterfinals, I've decided to save my money for now.Next week sees the men's tour visit Tokyo in the form of the Rakuten Japan Open. However, world #1 Roger Federer...
Back in July I visited Norwich, CT to see a game between the Connecticut Defenders and Harrisburg Senators. A brief but powerful afternoon rainstorm rendered the field unplayable and the game was called. I was upset but optimistic that I could return in the next couple of years to catch a game there. Sadly, my optimism was unfounded. The Defenders have announced that they are moving to Richmond, where they will take up residence at the Diamond, former home of the Richmond Braves. In the minors, team relocation is an annual occurrence; there are...
Monday, 28 September 2009
While I was in Hawaii, MLB released their tentative 2010 schedule. It's great for roadtrippers to get a schedule so early, you can plan your trips well in advance. Unfortunately for me, the matchup I was looking forward to happens at the end of season.Next year will see the grand opening of Target Field in Minneapolis so I have to go visit the new ballpark. The Blue Jays, who I like to watch on the road despite recent disappointments in Pittsburgh (2008) and New York (2009), will not travel to Target Field until October 2010. This is the last series...
University Baseball in TokyoMost baseball fans in Japan are familiar with the NPB as well as the high school game: both are widely televised nationwide. However, there's another level of baseball that doesn't get as much exposure as it should: university baseball. Within Tokyo alone, there are two leagues that consist of 27 teams total. Each league plays games in the spring and autumn and provide a great chance to catch future prospects at their...
It continues to amaze me that the more I look for sporting events that I could travel to, the more I discover. This past couple of weeks saw the 2009 World Baseball Cup played in Europe. Hosted by 8 countries with the finals held in Italy; the competition featured 22 teams, from powers like the USA and Cuba down to European minnows such as Sweden and the Czech Republic. I would have loved to have been able to make a trip to a few of these games, although I expect the logistics would have been difficult. Still, making this sort of trip is what I...
Sunday, 27 September 2009
It was an interesting finish to the Eastern League here in Japan. The Yomiuri Giants had gone on an 11-3 run in September and with 1 game left in the 108-game slate, they were tied for first with both Shonan and Lotte. However, Japanese baseball allows tie games, so their records were not identical. Both Yomiuri and Shonan had 59-46-2 records for a .562 winning percentage, while Shonan was 60-47-0 to stand 3rd at .561. You might wonder how that is: all 3 teams are 13 games over .500 and have played 107 games - their percentages should be the same,...
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Giants win their 3rd consecutive title behind ObispoA few weeks ago, I watched Wifrin Obispo pitch in a minor league game for the Giants against Yakult. While I was in Hawaii, he was recalled to the big club and has been pitching well. Today, he started against Chunichi and pitched 7 good innings, giving up only 5 hits and a walk. Unfortunately, one of the hits was a 3-run homer from veteran catcher Motonobu Tanishige, but this was the only blemish. The offense managed to put together 5 runs and the bullpen held the lead, giving Obispo 5 wins against...
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
The minor league season is drawing to a close here in Japan, and I wanted to visit Giants Stadium one more time as it is the best place to watch a game for me. My friend Hiroshi, a Giants fan who had never seen a minor league game, joined me. I've described the stadium previously, but there was one small difference today: there was a shuttle bus from the station to the stadium. The bus only runs on weekends and holidays though, but we're in the middle...
Monday, 21 September 2009
I've just returned from a fantastic 10-day trip to Hawaii. I don't want to get into the details of the trip, but would highly recommend Volcanos National Park on the Big Island - hiking through volcanic craters and watching lava flowing at night are just two highlights.What was unique about this trip was that I didn't watch a single sporting event - not live nor on TV. Obviously, Hawaii doesn't have any pro sports teams, but the University of Hawaii has several teams and there was a women's volleyball tournament going on while I was in Oahu. But...
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Lotte Urawa Field was the first minor league park that I had seen this season, and I had arrived rather late not realizing how few seats are available. I ended up at the end of a very uncomfortable bench that did not provide a good view of the action. I wanted to see this place once more from a different perspective, so I got out to Musashi Urawa station early enough to grab a seat right by the fence on the 3rd base side. Unfortunately, I was still...
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