Hanshin Tigers

Currently 3-2 and 1 draw. Next up is Yokohama Bay Stars, which should be an easy win.

Wait...you have no idea who the Hanshin Tigers are?

Wait. WHAT?

Yeah, I know. Japanese baseball is relatively unknown in America, and that's sad, because while Japanese have no idea (for the most part) how to speak English, they think our country is filled with a bunch of gun slinging gangster (yet think Mexico is a haven), and can't eat much of our food without longing for a good breakfast of fried fish and rice, THEY LOVE BASEBALL.

So let me explain the lay of the land: Japanese baseball has two leagues, Central and Pacific. Central is like the American League (interesting), Pacific is like the National League (not).

The Central and Pacific Leagues both have 6 teams. Ignore the Pacific teams as they are of no importance. The Central League has the Tokyo Yomiuri (newspaper co.) Giants, the Osaka Hanshin (train co.) Tigers, the Yokohama Bay Stars, the Hiroshima Carps, the Nagoya Chunichi Dragons, and the Tokyo Yakult (drink co.) Swallows. Chunichi has been strong lately, and the Bay Stars usually suck.

The Yomiuri Giants are a lot like the NY Yankees: big free agent payroll, big field, and lots of publicity and fans. The Hanshin Tigers are a lot like the Boston Red Sox: less money, less publicity, RABID fans, and a 90 year old stadium. Exceptionally rabid fans - fans so nuts, that if you publicly insult the Tigers in a Osaka bar, you had better be drinking next to a doctor.



You notice that the fans have flags, a bunch of people singing, and a bunch of horns and drums. They also have an official fight song for each batter.