IT USED TO BE OUR PASTIME TOO :

Japan's national pastime (Marvin Olasky, 8/20/02, Townhall.com)

Barring a minor miracle, American Major League Baseball players and owners are hurtling toward an Aug. 30 strike date. But here at Koshien Stadium, baseball life goes on for the fervent fans of the Hanshin Tigers.

Fans at this 55,000-seat ballyard wear karate gi (robes) and headbands in the yellow and black Tiger colors. White-gloved cheerleaders lead the crowd in vibrant chants and rollicking songs. Fans learn different songs for each home team batter and greet favorites with homemade banners. One fan greeted a player from the United States with a huge banner made up of many American flags.

And fans sing the Hanshin fight song, "The Wind of Mount Rokko." Here's a rough translation of one stanza: "Powerful bats and skillful pitch achieved a thousand times/ Trained with every discipline here at Koshien/ Crowned with constant victory glorious, matchless feat/ Always proud, invincible Hanshin Tigers/ Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hanshin Tigers/ Hooray, Hooray, Hooray, Hooray." Some children learn the song before they learn Japan's national anthem.

Perhaps the best thing that could happen to baseball is a three or four year shutdown that would destroy it as a viable television entertainment and rid the game of money. Get it back down to sixteen teams with no playoffs, just the World Series. No national tv contract. No Nike ads. No homerun derby. Just baseball. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 20, 2002 10:02 AM