Sorry Boys, No Baseball Today
Sorry Boys, No Baseball Today
The Japanese National High School Baseball Championship tournament got cancelled for they first time in several decades.
Alas.
Personally, I am not a spectators of sports, preferring to play badminton with my local club; however, I do love the Japanese National High School Baseball Championship for its sheer fervour and passion.
This tournament is the largest amateur sport event in Japan, and if you have ever seen a high school baseball game whether at this major tournament, or at a local game with the players doing their very best along with their vision of the national high school championship clearly in their sights, there simply is nothing like this event in the sporting world anywhere.
A catalyst for many young aspiring baseball stars to go on to bigger things, in particular those who aspire to the ultimate goal of playing on a major league team, especially an American one.
Having only been cancelled twice in it over 100-year history (the tournament started in 1915), once in 1918, and then again, in 1941.
You could say that this was a “Black Swan” event for everyone involved.
Not only were these aspiring major league baseball players deeply saddened by the cancellation of this important life event, but the shock and dismay reaches far beyond the gloom of not only their immediate families and supporters, but indeed into the entire nation of Japan.
Why is this so you might ask?
National unity through friendly competition.
Yes the rivalries among the Japanese are very fierce, but this is an occasion for the Japanese to cheer on their home team, and to feel a sense of Japanese unity by doing so.
For many older folks in Japan this yearly event is a time to cheer on the home prefecture team, and to become nostalgic for the day of yore.
For the young baseball players, their high schools, and supports, this sad tales of how their dreams got cancelled with the stroke of a pen will become a discussion point long after school is out.
Bonus material:
Some of the alumni you may be familiar with having gone on to careers in the American Majors have been; Ichiro Suzuki, Daisuke Matsuoka, and Hideki Matsui, who was also know as “Godzilla” to the Americans.
Many of you may think Hideo Nomo, was the first Japanese to play in the American majors, but you would be wrong. It was actually Masanori Murakami, who pitched for the San Francisco Giants for one year in the 1964-65 season.
Full on spirit
フル回転
Cheering squad practicing
応援団練習風景