The umbrellas were out this evening
Despite ominous skies and some passing showers, the baseball road trip gods smiled down upon us as the Yakult Swallows and the Yomiuri Giants were able to get the full nine innings in tonight at Meiji Jingu Stadium. Meiji Jingu was the best outdoor stadium to have to deal with rain since the Swallows are known for their bright green umbrellas that they wave during their cheer song. Part of that tradition is to poke fun at the cross town Giants who play in the Tokyo Dome by saying, ”We don’t need a dome – we have umbrellas!” These certainly came in handy during the evening.
With the treat of rain omnipresent throughout the day, the crowd was small – despite the fact the Giants only play just a hop, skip, and a jump away at the Tokyo Dome. The Giants, who are holding on to the last playoff position in the Central League, would jump on the board first with a big four run top of the sixth as the rain started to fall. The Swallows were able to put two on the board to draw the game closer but the Giants held out for the 5-2 win.
For me, this was the last game of my September tour through Japanese baseball. My fellow See It All JapanBallers will continue on to Chiba Marine Stadium tomorrow. This was a really fun trip, something I’d recommend to any fan of the game of baseball. Now time to pack – some final thoughts on the trip will be coming when I get back to the States.
Question of the Day
Q: Does the NPB play a small ball style game compared to MLB? – Mark
A: I would say that it is not noticeable. Occasionally, you will see a player bunt earlier in the game than you would in MLB. There is much more emphasis placed on getting the first run so that leads to some different decision making. I would argue that the power level is similar to MLB (especially comparing this season).
Check out the Meiji Jingu Stadium Guide at Japanese Baseball Stadiums »
