No franchise should be proud of the fact that it has just one Japan Series championship in 69 years. And yet, you won’t find a baseball team prouder of its win than the Hanshin Tigers. But is that a testament to the lameness of the franchise, or is there more to it than that?
The fact of the matter is, 1985 was actually a transformative year in the team’s history for reasons beyond the obvious. Sure, the team took NPB by storm by coming out of nowhere to win it all. Sure, this was the team’s singular firework before going into complete darkness for 18 years. But this season was so much more to Hanshin and baseball.
Before I explain, let me give a brief outline of the book. It discusses how the team hired the manager before Yoshio Yoshida, who was at the helm for this particular season. After all, Moto Andoh was instrumental in bringing this bunch of players together and also setting them in the positions they were in during this run. Andoh also picked up Randy Bass from America, and in fact, this last credits the 1985 pennant and team to Andoh.
After they discuss Andoh’s dismissal (which came due in part to fans’ unrealistic expectations) and how the club decided to go with Yoshida for a second term. Then comes the grind. Basically the regular season is retold in around 200 or more pages. While interesting at times, it was also a little too much at others. It was nice to read a little more about how the team got in and out of some hard spots during the year, including the tragic death of club president Hajimu Nakano (airplane crash). After that, obviously there were detailed reports of the Japan Series against the Seibu Lions, as well. Nothing terribly new to me, though, as I have already done my research.
But what caught my attention more than anything else was how the author gave special attention to what impact this season had on baseball in Japan. First of all, did you know that the DH was introduced in NPB in 1985? At the time, the rule was that it would also be used in the Japan Series every other season… so this particular playoffs had it. Also, the balloon launch became a thing in 1985, and while it was started at Koshien, it was not originally a Tigers fan thing. (Credit for that goes to fans of the Hiroshima Carp.)
Even more interesting was the insight into why Hanshin fans are who they are, and why they have such a hold on the club. I was always aware of their connection with Osaka, and how they view themselves in contrast to Tokyo and the Yomiuri Giants. As an industrial city, but also a rather entrepreneurial one, Osaka (Hanshin fans) are not necessarily as accountable to a boss or company as the fans in Tokyo are to theirs. The result is that fans feel much more free to be boisterous and voice their opinions – which often come in the form of complaints. Talk about a lightbulb switching on in my mind. It’s all starting to make sense!
Overall, I enjoyed reading this chronicle of the best season in the history of the team, but also the start of true Hanshin fever: Koshien has been a festival grounds ever since, and Osaka loves its festivals! Now if only they could have another year or two where the team comes together as one…