Seattle Mariners 3 at Oakland Athletics 1 (11) - March 28, 2010

I wasn't planning to write a post for the MLB Season Opener, but the pre-game ceremony was interesting, so I've decided to do a short recap after all.This was the fourth time that Major League Baseball began its season in Japan. This year was special though, as Mariners’ star right fielder Ichiro Suzuki would be playing his first meaningful MLB games in his home country. Tickets were a hot commodity and prospective buyers had to enter a lottery in...

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Okinawa Options - Part 2

In late 2010, I visited Okinawa and posted a short summary of some things to do on the southern half of the island.This time I rented a car and spent the week up north, which is less populous but has a number of interesting attractions that draw the tourists. If you want to get away from the masses, there are some beautiful and secluded beaches. It was too cold to spend much more than a few minutes in the water, but warm enough to enjoy a few hours...

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Osaka Evessa 75 at Ryukyu Golden Kings 70 - March 25, 2012

After a relaxing week on the north coast of Okinawa, I returned to Naha for my flight back to Tokyo. The flight wasn't until the evening, so I had to find something to do in the city during the day. Fortunately, the Ryukyu Golden Kings, the bj League's best team, were at home in Naha that day so I was able to drive over and watch them taking on the Osaka Evessa, who are the number 2 squad in the nation.Naha City GymnasiumThe venue was the Naha City...

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Quest for 400

Happy Birthday to me! Or at least to the blog. Sports Road Trips is three years old today and it's time to change it up a bit. I've been doing odd trips over those years, generally when I found a bit of free time and spare cash, but there hasn't been a lot of rhyme or reason behind them. Mostly I've been trying to see Toronto teams on the road and all the new baseball stadiums, and then finding other games in the vicinity.I've decided that this is no longer the best way to approach these trips, so I've set a goal to complete visits to 400 pro stadiums...

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Yokohama DeNA BayStars 6 at Yomiuri Giants 3 (Eastern League) - March 18th, 2012

Happy St. Patrick's Weekend! Last year at this time, I wrote a piece on the poor media reporting after the earthquake and tsunami that hit the Tohoku area. One year later, there has been much progress in the recovery but there is still a long, long way to go. Not that the media will tell you that; there has been very little substantive reporting overseas other than a blip last weekend during the anniversary. Even then, for us in Japan, things are...

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NHL Playoff Race After 68 Games

At the end of 2011, I posted the NHL standings after 27 games, because at that time, some teams had played more games than others and it was tough to see just where they stood relative to each other. The 27-game mark is also about 1/3 of the way through the season, and I intended to post an update after 55 games, which would be the 2/3 mark. However, most teams completed their 55th game while I was on my most recent road trip and I didn't have time to do the analysis. So I've let the schedule run on a bit and am now posting the standings after...

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Canadian Soccer Roadtrip in LA

Toronto FC are the new kid on the block in terms of the city's pro sports teams and although they have not had much success in their first 5 seasons, they are the Canadian champion which allows them entry into the CONCACAF Champions League. They finished second in group play and advanced to the quarterfinals, where they are taking on the defending MLS champs, the Los Angeles Galaxy.The first leg was played today and finished 2-2 after Toronto had taken a 2-0 lead. The second and decisive leg is to be played at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA...

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Two April Road Trips Planned for Japan

I'm not working full-time right now, which gives me a chance to take a few weekday trips before I leave Japan. With the AFC Champions League, J League, and Japanese baseball all starting this month, there are some good chances to get a look at some venues I've yet to see, as well as make a final visit to those I haven't been to in a very long time.The first of these trips will see me flying up to Hokkaido to see the Sapporo Dome host two different sports. First the Nippon Ham Fighters will take on the Orix Buffaloes in Pacific League baseball action...

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Expanded MLB Playoffs - Not a Bad Thing After All

In 2010, I ranted against MLB's proposal for an additional wild card team. My concerns were the further devaluation of the season as well as having another playoff series push back the divisional round. Naturally, Bud and his boys ignored my post and went forward with their plan to have a 5th playoff team in each league, starting this season. Surprisingly though, I actually like what they've done. In fact, I'll go as far to say that they haven't really expanded the playoffs at all, instead, they've reduced the benefit of grabbing the wild card...

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2012 Prairie Trip Summary

I always like to post a small summary of any big trip I take, more for my own purposes, so please excuse the self-indulgence.I was on the road for 22 days during which I saw 4 NHL, 7 WHL, 2 Junior A hockey, 5 basketball (NBA, NBDL, NCAA, 2 CIS), and 2 NCAA baseball games, all while driving 3,000 miles.The best game was Philadelphia's 5-4 OT win in Winnipeg, a game that I almost skipped due to not having a ticket. The moral being always go to the venue, you never know what might happen.The most enjoyable game was Toronto's OT win in Edmonton, with...

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Prairie Pastimes

When I take these extended road trips, I like to visit the occasional tourist attraction to stave off the boredom that can accrue between sporting events. Having traveled extensively throughout North America, it has become increasingly difficult to find something unique or different, that is, a tourist attraction that offers an opportunity to learn or see something new. One history museum is much like the other after you've visited 20 of them, so...

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Loyola Marymount Lions 2 at Cal State Fullerton Titans 6 (NCAA Baseball) - February 29, 2012

It's Leap Day! Is there a better way to celebrate this quadrennial event than watching a baseball game in California before flying back to Japan? I couldn't think of one, so I ventured over to Fullerton to watch the Cal State Fullerton Titans taking on the Lions of Loyola Marymount in a non-conference game.Goodwin Field Opened in 1992 as Titan Field, Goodwin Field is celebrating its 20th anniversary this season. In that time, the Titans have amassed...

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