The 2007 Japan Series

October 29, 2007 10:23 PM

Now that the "World Series" is over, you can enjoy Joe Posnanski's coverage of the Japan Series in the Kansas City Star (on account of Nippon Ham Fighters coach Trey Hillman going to coach the KC Royals in 2008.) It's great to see Posnanski's perspective of Japanese baseball as he compares and contrasts American and Japanese baseball. It's also interesting to see American mass media cover Japanese sports when the Japanese mass media is going ga-ga over the US World Series (due to 3 Japanese players, Matsuzaka, Matsui and Okajima being in the finals.)
posted by gen (20 comments total)

"Cool!"
posted by ORthey at 10:27 PM on October 29, 2007

Fascinating book on Japanese baseball: You Gotta Have Wa, by Robert Whiting.
posted by ORthey at 10:29 PM on October 29, 2007

Wow, everything that bothers me about major league baseball (too many home runs, inconsistent pitching and fielding) are absent in Japanese baseball. This makes me want to watch these games to see how the sport I imagine baseball could be would look like.
posted by Space Coyote at 11:02 PM on October 29, 2007

"Mr Baseball" [Netflix] taught me everything I know about Japan.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 11:16 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

So the Japan Series is tied 1-1, and game three is on Tuesday night (and it is currently Tuesday afternoon there) but we don't know how to follow the game online? Wtf, internet?
posted by finite at 11:21 PM on October 29, 2007

Maybe japanesebaseball.com will have live coverage, but I can't tell yet. They apparently have before.
posted by finite at 11:28 PM on October 29, 2007

Yes, finite is right- it looks like someone will be covering it live.
posted by gen at 12:22 AM on October 30, 2007

i've always been intrigued by the name "ham fighters". do the hams fight back in japan?
posted by bruce at 1:10 AM on October 30, 2007

do the hams fight back in japan?

Yes, you have to fight hand-to-ham with your pork before you get to enjoy it.

Nippon Ham, a meatpacking company that bought the team in 1973, is the name of the team. Ergo, they are the Nippon Ham — Fighters.
posted by gen at 1:40 AM on October 30, 2007

Hey, wait a minute gen... isn't there some yakuza-controlled, behind-the-scenes gambling and fixing going on in Japanese baseball? Do you have to spotlight such negative aspects of Japanese culture?

I keed, I keed!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:02 AM on October 30, 2007

Also you can follow the game live here.
posted by greasepig at 3:59 AM on October 30, 2007

A bit of Posnanski trivia: he got his start as a full time sportswriter here in Augusta, GA. If you beat his weekly NFL predictions you won a T-shirt that said "I pounded Poz". He definitely deserves his baseball-writing accolades.
posted by TedW at 5:15 AM on October 30, 2007

That was fascinating, and I've never even seen a baseball game in any country and never wanted to. Guy's an awesome writer.
posted by jacalata at 5:45 AM on October 30, 2007

I can't remember the last time I saw anybody pitch as well as Daisuke Matsuzaka did the other night.
posted by koeselitz at 7:03 AM on October 30, 2007

Ham Fighters! I sooo need one of those hats. I'm picturing a nice blue baseball cap with a big pink cartoon ham shank as the logo. Someone please tell me this exists. Please please please.
posted by slogger at 8:18 AM on October 30, 2007

Wow, everything that bothers me about major league baseball (too many home runs, inconsistent pitching and fielding) are absent in Japanese baseball.

Along with the best talent.
posted by justgary at 8:47 AM on October 30, 2007

Wow, everything that bothers me about major league baseball (too many home runs, inconsistent pitching and fielding) are absent in Japanese baseball.

I would imagine that in every baseball league in the world there is inconsistent pitching and fielding. And what's wrong with home runs?
posted by ORthey at 9:01 AM on October 30, 2007

I can't remember the last time I saw anybody pitch as well as Daisuke Matsuzaka did the other night.

Uh, trying not to derail, but did you watch any of the playoff games that Beckett pitched?
posted by inigo2 at 9:56 AM on October 30, 2007

can't remember the last time I saw anybody pitch as well as Daisuke Matsuzaka did the other night.

How many MLB games have you watched in the last, I dunno, 5-10 years?
posted by rxrfrx at 12:30 PM on October 30, 2007

Fantastic post. I have got to go to a baseball game when I make it to Japan.
posted by exogenous at 3:02 PM on October 30, 2007