Yakult Swallows

We went to the baseball game in Tokyo.  We couldn't get tickets to a Tokyo Giants game, so we went to see the Yakult Swallows instead--not that this was disappointing at all.  In fact, maybe it was better than going to the Giants game... everybody goes to a Giants game.  The Giants play in a fancy domed stadium, while the Swallows play in the old Meiji Jingu stadium, which was built in 1926 and has hosted the likes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

The first difference I noticed between good ol'American baseball and the Japanese version was the food sitch.  As in, most people bring their food to the game, so there are vendors lining the sidewalks leading to the stadium selling all sorts of bentos, beers, and snacks for you to bring into the game.

Not wanting to miss out on an opportunity to try Japanese baseball stadium food, we got a snacker of edamame and a tea-soaked egg.

We splurged on good seats (thanks to Miya for arranging!) on the first baseline, on the Swallows side.  A couple of things to point out here.  (1) There are cheerleaders.  (2) There are distinct areas where all of the Swallows fans sit and where all of the Carp fans sit.  (3) The fans only cheer for their teams when they are batting. (Of course, it is well organized even at the baseball game in Japan.)  (4) These cheers take the form of songs, with instruments, and each player has his own song that is repeated by the fans every time he goes to the plate.  (5) The Swallows fans are known for their umbrella dance, and they bring mini-umbrellas and then stand up during the 7th inning stretch to perform.

Here they are umbrella dancin'!  

And there are "sexy" beer girls (some sexier than others), going around with backpacks of beer.  Here is the Sapporo girl making sure the guy in front of us isn't thirsty.  Note that she is not really wearing her baseball cap, but that it is folded and hair-pinned to her head.  Many girls were sporting their hats this way.  Haven't they heard of VISORS?!

Oh man, fans were indispensable while we were in Japan.  They were handed out everywhere as marketing props, but you couldn't beat 'em for some one-handed air conditioning just about anywhere.  (I would walk down the street fanning myself, local-style.)  

The rules.  Good thing we didn't bring any jet-balloons.

The stadium food consisted of hotdogs, fries, cheese-filled potato wedges, some kind of roast beef sandwich, and these plates of assorted sausages.  Oh, and ice cream and other frozen treats.  I'm sure there was more, that was just in our section.

Speaking of frozen treats, here's B with a frozen beer and a hotdog.  Why, oh why, aren't they hip to frozen beer in the US?!

Swallows swag.

StL Times

Some captures of the last week in St. Louis...

The great room has lots going on.

Great signage across from Bevo Mill.

The Bevo Mill! Went for brunch with Maria, Big Ger, and Aunt Helen. The building has a rich history and was built by August Busch. It was originally his private dining room and was built midway between the brewery and Grant's Farm. During the prohibition, Bevo (the non-alcoholic "beer" drink) was served there. Busch studied various Dutch windmills before building his own, which is 60 feet in diameter! The building was completed in 1916 for the large sum of $250,000.





The dining room. Sadly, the brunch wasn't so hot, but it was definitely all about the atmosphere. Plus, we had Groupons! So it was, like, totally cheap! :) Either way, I will not be yelping about this one...

The gnomes were exhibited at the Paris exhibition of 1898 and cost $50,000 in 1916. Pretty nice.

Aunt Helen, dad, me.

Mom and Aunt Helen.

Also took in a Cards game. This is an iphone photo of Albert Pujols batting. I swear. I mean, you can tell the stance, right? Also, Brad Penny hit a grand slam home run. Woop!

Pattern on pattern! And new hairs!

This is Hilde cat. She is a scared-y cat.

So she likes to sit here, in her self-imposed jail.

Later, Hilde cat!


Artsy at the airport bar. Will I ever remember to check flight status before I get to the airport?? Delayed, of course...

Roberto Clemente Decoded

Watched a documentary on Roberto Clemente last night. Grew up hearing about him (and about Mazeroski's home run in the '60 World Series), and he always had these eerie connotations for me because of his death in the plane crash. I thought he was much younger when he was killed and that he was taken out in his prime, but he really did have a full career in the big leagues (1955 to 1972 for the Pirates, .371 avg, 240 HR, 1305 RBIs lifetime).

But what I learned last night was his dedication to humanitarian causes and that his plane crashed just after taking off to deliver supplies to Nicaraguans who had lost everything in the earthquake in 1972. He had arranged to have supplies sent, but they were reportedly looted so he decided to go deliver the next round himself. Anyway, it was on American Experience on PBS last night, so check it out if you have a chance. (It was much better than the clunker they had on last week about Walt Whitman. And I like Walt Whitman!)