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09/19/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Hanshin Team Report and News Articles"
Team Report
Hanshin The Tigers titles clincher was registered bigtime on the tv ratings front, as it drew a 32.6% number in the Kansai region (Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto and environs) and a 26.9% in the Kanto area (Tokyo-Yokohama and surrounding communities). In
addition, a broadcast of the world judo championship was interrupted for 20 minutes to bring footage of the celebration for Hanshin's first pennant in 18 seasons.... According to Sankei Sports, around 200 expat Japanese living in London gathered in Trafalgar Square gathered and sang the Tigers theme song, Rokko Oroshi. The police tried to break it up, but fans persuaded London constables that this was like a soccer celebration in England and they apparently relented. Several fans then jumped into a fountain for an impromptu soak....In Paris, about 30 Japanese amassed next to a train station and paraded down the street while singing the Tigers anthem while drinking wine with passersby. An executive with a Paris temp agency whose parent is based in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture revealed that the last few days the employees have been following Hanshin's travails on the net and not much work has been getting done as a result....In Toronto, about 80 Japanese fans collected for a party commemorating the CL supremacy by also loudly singing the club tune....However, the delirium over the Tigers going to the Japan Series didn't translate to good fortune on the Nikkei Index, as shares of Hanshin's department store subsidiary as well as its railway concern closed down Monday....In Umeda, Osaka, a sale feting the Tigers resulted in more than 2000 shoppers showing up early and doors had to be opened one hour early. They then had to limit the number of people in the store at one time to comply with city fire regulations and a line snaked around the store well into the rest of the morning. The sale will run for eight days....Former Tigers first baseman Randy Bass had this reaction to Hanshin winning the pennant: "whenever I came to Japan, people would ask me, 'why are they so weak?' Now I can answer that they are the strongest team"....Ex-Hanshin hurler Shin Nakagomi, who is with the Brother Elephants in the Taiwan league, said that he was happy the team won the pennant. Then he joked for the club to "please take me on the celebration vacation"....Despite numerous health warnings issued to the locals about jumping into the dirty Dotonbori River, Hochi Sports estimates that more than 5300 took the plunge as a tribute to the Tigers.... Back in the locker room, the team needed only about 15 minutes to spray and/or drain off 2000 bottles of beer during their own festivities. That's remarkable.
In the News
Hanshin Victory Invigorates Japan
See story at: Arab Times Article
See related story at: Taipei Times Article
See another related story at: Yomiuri Shimbun Article
Colony Capital Fukuoka Dome Bid 60 Billion Yen
See story at: Reuters Article
Hanshin Victory Not Good for Everyone
See story at: Japan Today Article
Hanshin Minor League Team Wins Title
See story at: Japan Today Article
Osakans Elated in Topping Tokyo "Snobs"
See story at: UK Telegraph Article
In Praise of Hoshino
See story at: Asahi Shimbun Article
Tigers Pennant Harbinger of Winds of Change in Japan?
See story at: Manila Times Article
Who WIll be CL MVP?
See story at:Japan Times Article
Matsui vs. Baldelli and Berroa an Unfair Fight?
See story at: St. Petersburg Times Article
Hawks Fans Warned Not to Jump Into Nakagawa River
See story at: Japan Today Article
Man Dies Celebrating Tigers Supremacy
See story at: Japan Times Article
Pickpockets Targeted Hanshin Sale
See story at: Mainichi Shimbun Article
Today's Pictures
Norihiro Akahoshi Drills the Ball Over Shigeru Morikasa's Head for the Pennant
Manager Senichi Hoshino Gets the "Doage" Treatment from His Players
Hideki Matsui Rings Up His 100th RBI
Replies: 2 comments
I don't think you can actually just buy him out can you? He has to be posted?
Posted by Peggy @ 09/20/2003 01:51 AM EST
How much do you think it will cost to buy T.Iguchi out of his Japanese contract?. And how much $/yrs it will take to sign him... 2 yrs $3M, $1.5M per?.
Posted by Jason @ 09/20/2003 01:01 AM EST
