Swallows 8, Baystars 3

The Swallows swept the Baystars this week. That makes it four wins in a row for Yakult, and five out of the last six (we'll just forget about that nasty, lop-sided loss to the Giants at the dome last Saturday).

On a sour note, it appears as though Iwamura is injured. He pinch-hit last night, but he didn't start. Ramirez, on the other hand, continues to be a consistent bright spot for the club. He has hit home run after home run for the past month. It also appears that someone in the front office has lit a fire under Suzuki. This man is well-known as the laziest first-basemen in the world. This Wednesday he actually stole second base!

For some reason TV Asahi wanted to interview me before the game yesterday. I told them that I don't speak much Japanese, but they either didn't believe me or didn't care. They physically blocked my path to the stadium, and I ended up answering some questions about the strike and baseball in general. I wasn't able to say everything that I wanted to, but I got a few of my ideas across.

Swallows 8, Baystars 3

The Elderly

Japan is a granny and gramps country. The aged are everywhere, and they enjoy the quiet life that can be found here on this set of islands. Earthquakes come and earthquakes go, and so do the old folks on bikes. No wonder they live for so long--they ride their bicycles until they're well into their 80's!

They don't get a whole lot of respect here from the young though. I recently went back to Korea for a short visit, and I noticed a huge difference in attitude. On the trains, for instance, the seats reserved for the elderly, injured or pregnant are usually filled with people at all times of the day here in Japan. Young people rarely think twice before popping a squat. In Korea, however, people will often stand rather than occupy a reserved seat, even if there doesn't happen to be anyone around who might need to sit down.

The influence that Confucianism has on Korean society is well documented, and this is just one reflection of it. Despite the amount of pride taken in the longevity of Japanese seniors, it is interesting to witness the indifference to their comfort that exists here within the younger populations.

The Elderly

Papa Kim and I before the pitcher arrived.

Yong-ho, Mama, Yong-nam, Papa Kim and I having a post-karaoke drink.

Papa Kim, Yong-nam, myself and Mama succumbing to cheap beer.

Me and Mama

Japan's 1st Baseball Strike

It appears that a work stoppage is about to doom the rest of the season here. The players are doing the right thing by sticking up for themselves. Something--no, MANY things--need to be done to get this league on track. The players have the overwhelming support of the fans in this country. Unlike the MLB strike back in the 90's, this strike isn't about the players' salaries. Well, at least not directly.

Due to some of the most inept business practices one can imagine (next to no interaction between the players and the fans, non-existent marketing, etc.), the majority of the ballclubs in this country are struggling to make ends meet. Most of the teams are thought of as advertising for the parent company, and little is done to attract new customers to the ballpark. A lot of the rules governing the way that baseball is presented to the public are also partly to blame for the current mess. Several parent companies are trying to find ways to dump their respective baseball teams, and one of the solutions that they've come up with is merging clubs.

The Orix Bluewave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, both from the Pacific league, are preparing to do just that. Those two organizations are also planning to send 100 players and personnel packing without a second thought. This is one of the main reasons that the strike is now an issue. If the owners approve the merger, which they are expected to do later this week, then the strike will take effect this weekend. Inter-league play and equal television rights for all baseball teams could have helped avert this problem if they had been instituted a decade ago, but long-term business strategies do not seem to be part of the everyday thinking that goes on in the front offices of these struggling ballclubs.

I have tickets to the game on Sunday. It was supposed to be my first trip to Tokyo Dome. I guess I'll have to find something else to do that evening. J-League...? Nope. I'm not that desperate.

Japan's 1st Baseball Strike

Swallows in a Tailspin

We've just finished losing a whole mess of games to the two worst teams in the Central League. I don't know what's going on. It's really embarrassing.

With the strike looming, it may not matter all that much. However, it sure does hurt when your starting pitchers can't button down the first inning. In the last six games, if memory serves, we gave up two or more runs in the top of the first at least three times.

I'm planning on going to the Tokyo Dome for a game this Sunday. Hopefully we can clean up our act before then.

Swallows in a Tailspin