Inside the Osaka Dome
The Orix Buffaloes and Chiba Lotte Marines played the most exciting game of the trip, according to the consensus of the JapanBall fans at the Kyocera Dome this evening. After the Marines jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, the teams battled back and forth with the home team Buffaloes taking the lead on a long home run over the left field fence. The sparse crowd at the Kyocera Dome Osaka was very excited at the turn of events. The Marines eventually loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth after drawing the game within one, but an amazing backhand grab by the second baseman and a quick flip to the shortstop at second base put an end to the rally with the Buffaloes taking a close 5-4 win.
Before the game, we spent a little time exploring the area around Osaka. A group of us headed over to the Hard Rock Café for some burgers and to get t-shirts before heading over to the Osaka Dome. The dome is a strange – almost UFO looking structure. Inside, it is reminiscent of the Rogers Centre in Toronto where the Blue Jays play with a similar blue walls and seats.
Only one more day remains on the official weeklong JapanBall tour before more the group heads back home to locations in the United States and Canada. A group of four, including myself, will continue on to see the rest of the stadiums following our stop tomorrow at the Seibu Dome.
Question of the Day
Q: What are some places to get scores and stats on Japanese baseball? – Frank
A: There are a couple of good sites. For scores, try the NPB official site at www.npb.or.jp/eng/.
You can also find good information on teams, stats, and schedules at www.japanball.com, the company I am on the tour with. Also, you can try the English language daily paper The Japan Times at www.japantimes.co.jp for coverage of the entire Nippon Professional Baseball League.
Check out the Kyocera Dome Osaka Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »
