Feels Good to be Back at the Ballpark!

As someone who lived in Japan more than 15 years before going to his first professional baseball game, you would think a few extra months away from the park because of COVID-19 would be bearable.

Not the case. More than nine months of no Koshien is practically like starving a man, especially one who lives in Nishinomiya and follows the Hanshin Tigers as closely as I do. The drought came to an end at long last on July 14, when the Hanshin Tigers hosted the Yakult Swallows in front of just under 5,000 socially-distanced fans. I got to be one of them, and it was a cool experience in more ways than one.

I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to look at the sign on the overpass. Quite retro and feels out of place, what with the ballpark being nearly 100 years old and the merchandise shops right near it being just months old. Still, I love that you can see the ivy on the ballpark if you look closely.

Yes, the homestand is a nice long one, and it’s a joy to be at one of the first games of the season, even if it’s not the same as the usual jam-packed stadium with 45,000 crazies singing, cheering and jeering as the game goes on. But before I went into the stadium, I had to stop by one of my favorite shops to pick up an item that I don’t think I can live without, at least during the hot summer in Japan.

This thing blows cool air up your back, all the way to your neck, and keeps you from overheating while sitting down in the stadium to watch a slow burn of a game. Well, tonight, it wasn’t all that hot, but it still was nice to be cooler than any of the other 5,000 fans in attendance! So here’s the game preview…

It did not take long for Takumi Akiyama to give the bad guys a little lead to play with. A couple of walks, a hit and a fielder’s choice put us in a 0-2 hole after one, and it stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded, Ryutaro Umeno laced the first pitch he saw into the right field corner, bringing home two runs. Seiya Kinami hit a sacrifice fly to give the Tigers a brief lead. Akiyama served up a solo homer in the top of the fifth, but our guys gave him the lead right back in the bottom half, with a Yoshio Itoi RBI single. Then for good measure in the next inning, Kinami hit his first homer, a two-run shot off the left-field pole.

Originally tweeted by 阪神タイガース (@TigersDreamlink) on July 14, 2020.

The rest of the game was fairly smooth sailing, with neither team scoring, and the Swallows managing just two hits the rest of the way. Jerry Sands was not recognized as a hero in this one, but his three hits and a walk, plus some solid defense in left, were a highlight. His family was in attendance, and I am sure they enjoyed the performance that their star put on. Justin Bour also had a pair of hits, bringing his season average up to .310 at game’s end.

And speaking of Bour, I was blessed to receive these for my sons during the game. He sent his interpreter up into the stands to give them to me. Long story that I will save for another time (or not), but can you say “fan for life”?

Yeah, it was great being back at the ballpark. When the home team scored, it was still plenty loud in there, and honestly, the lone disappointment was the balloon launch, which is now a balloon towel dance. Yawn.

Anyhow, the Tigers won 6-3 and keep chipping away at the deficit they accrued in the first 12 games of the season.

Can’t wait to go back for another one. You were beautiful tonight, Koshien.