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 Don't
expect to see George Steinbrenner making a fool of
himself. Yankees Day does not feature the New York team.
Instead, it's an annual effort by the Nippon Ham Fighters to reach out to the foreign baseball-loving
community in Japan. And
they reach out in the best possible way -- with free
tickets.
Held
in early September, Yankees Day starts with a pre-game
show (a few songs -- enough to let you know why the Tokyo
Dome has a
terrible reputation as a music venue), drawings for door
prizes (usually a stereo and other items), and a
rendition of both the Japanese and American national
anthems. Finally, the game starts, and for the only time
in a season's 810 games, you'll hear announcements in
both Japanese and English.
Since
Fighters games are usually about as intense as watching
Jell-O congeal, much of the Yankees Day fun lies in
watching other spectators. Some folks carefully stare at
the scoreboard's big screen to see if the camera pans
their way, while others buy plastic megaphones and try
learn the rhythms emanating from the outfield cheering
sections. Several fans, looking bewildered, come briefly
to life when an American player steps into the batters
box, then fall limp after he strikes out. Getting
acclimated to Japanese baseball takes more than a day,
but Yankees Day is a good start.
Although
credit for this event should be given to the organizers
(a thank-you postcard isn't a bad idea if you receive
free tickets), one man who deserves a high-five is Wayne
Graczyk. As a columnist for the Japan Times
(catch his "Baseball Bullet-in" column), he
spreads word about the upcoming game and distributes
tickets. He's also a great person to write to if you have
a question or comment about Japanese pro baseball.
Check
out Graczyk's column for more details.
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