Now, I’ve had my encounters with Hanshin Tigers players before. Some of you remember my report about meeting Matt Murton at Starbucks. Others will have read my more recent report about bumping into (not literally, thank God) Randy Messenger, Mauro Gomez, Marcos Mateo, Matt Hague, and Tom O’Malley at a Mexican restaurant in Okinawa. But…
I had the pleasure of being in Okinawa from February 1-7. Six of these days were scheduled spring training camp days, with the 5th being a day off for players. As things turned out, the 4th was a day off for me. I got a little sick due to the poor weather and my lack…
Some people say Santa Claus doesn’t exist or is not real. They might be right, and Santa might be nothing but a myth, but I met a legend who was dressed as a myth, visiting Japan to bring joy and hope to millions. As he does many Decembers, former Hanshin Tigers great Randy Bass made…
Yesterday my fellow Hanshin Tigers fan Peter Gibson, who lives down in Australia and will be featured on the next podcast, dropped a bomb on his Facebook page: he and Tigers legend (that word is practically an understatement, as he is practically deified in Kansai) Randy Bass became Facebook friends. Guess who’s a little jelly?…
More fans showed up at Koshien Stadium yesterday than on many days on which the Tigers hosted a baseball game. The reason: the team’s annual Fan Appreciation Day took place from 12pm until around 4pm. The weather was great and the turn out was reported at 43,000. Here is a rundown of the day’s events:…
I’m not sure how many different draws I entered. At least three, I think. This year’s Hanshin Tigers Fan Appreciation Day will be held on November 21 (Saturday) at Koshien Stadium and features a lot of great mini-events. I tried winning through the fan club, the regular contest and finally, the Monthly Hanshin Tigers magazine….
I got to Koshien Stadium around 11am, despite not having a ticket to tonight’s game or even the intention of attending. And I didn’t. But I did get to take in the Koshien Stadium Museum for the first time ever, and followed it up with a tour of the stadium that included a chance to…
It’s been awhile since I did a birthday shoutout to a player on here. That one was for my favorite player, Matt Murton. This one is a shoutout to ME! Yes, I turned 40 yesterday. And I ranted about the Tigers’ 15-1 loss on Saturday and said I would NOT watch the game Sunday for fear…
On Sunday afternoon, I went to my first ever sumo basho in Osaka. It was Day 1 of the spring tournament, and I stood outside the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium hoping to get close to the rikishi as they strode in. I was thrilled to be standing just a few meters from these colossal grapplers, snapping…
Here’s an event you won’t want to miss out on if you are passionate about baseball, particularly in Japan! On Tuesday, March 24, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (Kansai Chapter) will be hosting an evening with Hanshin Tigers all-star left fielder Matt Murton and renowned author Robert Whiting (writer of The Chrysanthemum and…