It would have been in 2003 I think and one team was for sure the now defunct Kobe Orix Blue Wave (original team for one Ichiro Suzuki although he was in Seattle by then). I can't remember the other team (I tried to look it up but apparently the Blue Wave played in 4, yes 4, ties that year).
In Japan, most people take public transit to the games, so if a game went too late you risk getting people stranded. Thus, ties. I had forgotten (if I ever knew) that this was the case. My Japanese friends that were with me had to reassure me that yes, the game was over.
Japanese baseball is quite an experience. The other local team, the Hanshin Tigers, play in an amazing old stadium that Babe Ruth actually played in - it's also home to the really famous high school tournament each year (which I also got to attend). It's a really big deal:
The Koshien tournament is like Texas high school football for Japan. It's HUGE pressure and stakes, tons of tradition, enormous crowds, organized cheers, people travel from all over the country. Stadium is neat, but the seats were not designed for people my height. The other team in the region at the time (the Osaka Buffaloes) played in a dome (where I also got to see Tim Rattay play against Steve Spurrier's Washington team in a pre-season game).
Not long after I left Japan the Buffaloes and Blue Wave merged and now I think they split time between the two fields.
Interesting info. So, I guess we are left to surmise that the tie happened because play was halted due to the game running too late, which meant attendees were concerned about the public transit trains being shut down and leaving people stranded.
Your story is particularly interesting when one considers how indifferent American organizers in the U.S. would be about how their fans get to the games or how they leave.
Other than this weekend’s Tech/UAB series, the USM @ UTSA series should be very interesting and telling of the Western region being who we all expect USM to be and that UTSA won 3 of 4 at Rice and having played LSU very tough. If not for LSU’s ridiculous home field luck UTSA could’ve at least won that series on not been swept. I’m hoping they play to a tied series.
I wish Marshall & FIU would win some games - they are gonna hurt RPI when we play.
I think our RPI will take care of itself, but even if it suffers greatly we need to win 40 plus games and get to the finals of our tournament. Do that and we will still be ranked. Never heard of a ranked team being left out because of RPI.
Someone have the link for CUSA.TV
Thanks
You serious? Http://cusa.tv
West play is over for the weekend.
Southern Miss takes 3 from UTSA with game 4 canceled due to weather.
Tech takes 3 of 4 from UAB.
Middle Tennessee wins the series over Rice 2-1-1. Today's game ended tied 9-9 after 12 innings due to travel curfew.
That means a calculator will be needed for the rest of the conference season to figure standings.
Tech 6-2 .750 ---
Southern Miss 4-3 .571 1.5 GB
Middle Tennessee 4-3-1 .563 1.5 GB
UTSA 3-4 .429 2.5 GB
UAB 3-5 .375 3 GB
Rice 2-5-1 .313 3.5 GB