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Who should pay for a stadium? Hiroshima style
2006-08-04 12:00
by Bob Timmermann

The Washington Post's David Nakamura has a story about the troubles in Hiroshima in building a new baseball stadium for the hometown Carp.

Presently, the Carp play in a small (32,000 seats) bandbox (foul lines are shorter than 300') right across the street from "Ground Zero", called the Peace Park. It's not one of the nicer stadiums in Japan and the Carp struggle for fans because the team tends to be lousy. However, those that show up are fanatically loyal.

Hiroshima is presently in fourth place in the Central League with a 41-49-5 record, 14 1/2 games behind the first place Chunichi Dragons, who place in the immaculately clean Nagoya Dome.

This was my look at Hiroshima's stadium back in 2003.

You can compare it to the the Nagoya Dome.

When I spoke to a Carp official in 2003, he said that the team liked PNC Park as a model of a stadium. While I love PNC Park, it would look odd in Japan in my opinion. But I think the Carp deserve a good stadium.

This is my trip to Koshien Stadium which is the oldest stadium in use among the 12 major league teams in Japan. It's the only one that predates World War II.

Thanks to Sam DC for the pointer.

Comments
2006-08-04 13:36:28
1.   Xeifrank
Do they play extra innings in Japan to break ties? Or atleast penalty kicks?
vr, Xei
2006-08-04 15:46:18
2.   Bob Timmermann
They play 12 innings or to a time limit, whichever comes first.

The ties are not made up and they are not figured into winning percentage either.

2006-08-04 15:47:56
3.   confucius
Do you speak Japanese well, Bob?
2006-08-04 15:58:47
4.   Bob Timmermann
I don't speak Japanese at all. I point a lot.

6'5" white guys in Japan are expected not to speak English I've learned and Japanese people go out of their way to be helpful to me. That's one reason why I like to visit Japan.

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