48,000+ Balloons at Koshien
At the recently renovated Koshien Stadium, the first place Hashin Tigers and the second place Chunichi Dragons battled through extra innings to end at a 2-2 tie. Yes, games in Japan can end in a tie as the rules dictate that the teams only play 12 innings. The game was tight from the beginning as teams matched runs in the first three innings. The Dragons would take a 2-1 lead before the Tigers tied the game at two in the bottom of the eighth, much to the delight of the sold out, overwhelmingly Tiger fan filled stadium. The Tigers had chances to win the game in both the bottom of the ninth and tenth, but managerial and coaching blunders cost the team in both cases.
The stadium itself was magnificent. Last season, the Tigers renovated the stadium. The stadium was in rough shape and needed repairs. A new museum was added around the outfield which goes through the history of the famed high school Koshien High School baseball tournament held annually at the park as well as the history of the Tigers franchise. They even added a brick fan walk, where fans can have their own custom engraved brick paver placed around the exterior concourse of the stadium. These have been done for years in the States, but this is the first one I have seen in Japan.
It was nice to sit outside for a change and see a real grass baseball field again. Tomorrow starts a set of four domed stadiums in a row in Fukuoka.
Question of the Day
Q: What is the oldest stadium in Japan? – Henry
A: The oldest stadium in Japan is Koshien Stadium – the site of the game we attended this evening. Built in 1924, it is a mere two years older than Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo. Koshien Stadium was recently renovated over the past two years due to some damage from an earthquake in the 1990s. Koshien Stadium is one of only three major professional league stadiums that remain in active service that Babe Ruth hit a home run (the others being Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago – I’m not including old minor league parks). They even have a hot dog at the park which the Tigers have been serving since the 1920s named the “Herman Dog” that, according to the sign at the concession stand, was approved by the Bambino himself.
Check out the Koshien Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »
