Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Baseball Enjoy Event Part 4 - Sperm Balloons!

This brings us to another Hanshin tradition - in all games, the seventh inning is called "Lucky Seven" and to celebrate this, before Hanshin takes the field for the seventh, there is a wonderful balloon launch where thousands of sperm-shaped balloons are released like a massive rubber ejaculation.

Enjoy (note: the beer girls, are all in pink with a massive Asahi can strapped to their backs, and in no short supply)





Well - that's a baseball game in Japan - Hanshin won this one 6-0 with Kanno cracking a three run homer in the fourth inning (His first hit of the season to boot), and earning the title of "Hero" of the game. As the hero, he gets to be interviewed at the end of the match and asked such compelling questions as "What were you thinking when you came to bat" and "How about the next game?" to which he gives equally compelling answers as typical of the always deeply philosophical sports star. (I was just trying to get a hit...We will win the next match...etc.)

A side note about the two "Gaijin"(外人)or 'foreign' players

Matt Murton was originally drafted by the Red Sox, played mostly for the Cubs, and later the A's and Rockies before coming to Japan in Dec. of 2009

Craig Brazell was drafted by the Mets and spent most of his US career in the minors, seeing success in the Pacific League (US minors, not Japan) and ending up with KC before being optioned first to Seibu, and now Hanshin.

1 comment:

  1. I remember being a part of that crazy crowd and whacking the plastic bats together in time with the cheerleadrs, though I forget the part of the sperm balloons launching orgasmically to the outfield. Memory ain't what it used to be.

    Love the photos and videograms. Keep it coming.
    xx mater

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