MLB Opening Day 2012

[HokieUmp]

I managed to get tickets to the Toyko Dome for the Opening Series thing MLB is doing here. Tickets were a little pricey, I thought, for sitting up high over the plate ($50), but that was through the Tour desk on the base here, and that money included the bus ride to/from base. That's better than taking the train; and if you have ANY idea what Tokyo traffic is like, the idea of having someone else do the driving is always a better deal, and there's almost no price that could get hung on that. (Take the traffic any of you see, and make it double. Or worse. And please don't turn this into a "Boston/NY/LA traffic is worse" thing. No. No, it's not. It just isn't.)

Anyway, it was nice of the Mariners and A's to offer two extra innings for the ticket price. It would have been even better if they'd shown they knew how to score runs. The other two things I noted:

1. The place was like a morgue during the game. Except when Ichiro was up. Thankfully, he decided to show people MLB players can hit the ball - 4-for-5.

2. And from #1: the Japanese do love them some Ichiro in general. When he'd come up to bat, the number of flash bulbs was almost seizure-inspiring.

I still need to see an actual Nippon Professional Baseball game, because I know the Japanese get into the game much more than they showed Wednesday night. The trumpets in the outfield, the chanting, the balloon releases during the 7th inning stretch. (That last one is one I've been told about - the other two, I've seen from games on TV.)

But they love their baseball here. From what I've heard, the teams were treated like rockstars at Narita. I mean: aside from residents of the area, who even recognizes an A's player?

[Umpire in Chief]

If it weren't for an injury you'd recognize one our friend Terry Sizemore's son Scott is on the A's but tore his ACL on the first day of Spring training.

Overall I'm jealous. I would have loved to be there.

After I win the $500,000,000 lottery I think I'll just travel around umpiring and going to Pro games.

[Welpe]

After I win the $500,000,000 lottery I think I'll just travel around umpiring and going to Pro games.

Sorry Warren, I've already got my eye on it. :no:

[JaxRolo]

After I win the $500,000,000 lottery I think I'll just travel around umpiring and going to Pro games.

Sorry Warren, I've already got my eye on it.

If any of you win the Lotto. I will give you $0.50 and split the cost of the ticket and you can split the winnings with me. :wave:

[HokieUmp]

If it weren't for an injury you'd recognize one our friend Terry Sizemore's son Scott is on the A's but tore his ACL on the first day of Spring training.

From as far away as I was, I wouldn't recognize YOU, and I've known you for five years!

Sorry to hear about Scott.