What a catch!

[epigene]

Just when I finished my previous post, I heard the Ichiro comment in question!

He actually said he wishes the Japan team can win in a [powerful] way that makes the Taiwanese and Korean teams feel that they won't be able to catch up [with the Japan team] in 30 years. This was followed by a laugh that suggested he was joking and exaggerating.

 

[godppgo]

I see.. Well I don't think there's anything wrong with Ichiro's statment. Taiwan and Korean still have a long way to go to reach the same level of play as Japan. They're catching up though!

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Korea did an excellent job through the series. I was really worried about this game until Japan led by about 5 points.
I was getting ready to root for Korea against Cuba until then!

I think that Korea really took the games against Japan seriously, and Japan didn't really get the wakeup call until this last game.

As far as Ichiro's comment goes, it sounds just like modern journalism to oversimplify his comment. If you read American newspapers about Saddam Hussein's trials and then you see available transcripts, you'll see what I mean. (Is this off topic?)

 

[Gaijinian]

He made a bold statement at the beginning of the tournamnet saying that Korea and Taiwan won't be able to defeat Japan for at least another 30 years (which is very uncharacteristic of him to express openly on such matter).
Iﾂ can't wait for the final! Go Japan!

In Japanese: "ﾅ津ｼ窶堋ｱ窶堋､窶啌窶唹窶扼窶堙坂?愿ｺ窶怒窶堙俄?堙最ｽﾃｨ窶堙債出窶堋ｹ窶堙遺?堋｢窶堙按、窶堙??堋｢窶堋､ﾅ?'窶堋ｶdeﾂ焦ｸ窶堋ｿ窶堋ｽ窶堋｢窶堙?ｽv窶堋､"
Diffinatly a difference, as Epigene was saying.

 

[Davey]

Guy left... "aaa did you see that ball"..
woman left... "Damn Ichiro you should come and give me flowers some day"..
boy right... "mmm poor Korea"
2girl in the middle:... "Japannn ICHI BANNNN JAPAN ICHIBANNNNN"

All of them: NI CHEESUUUUUUU... HOMERUN!!!!!!!!!!!!! PHOTO!!!!!

 

[Davey]

oleeee

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Anyone who saw the game, did you notice how the Korean fans outnumbered the Japanese fans by a margin of like 10 to 1?

 

[Davey]

stop making me more sad Mika, I COULD NOT SEE THE MATCH!!

POOR ME..... Well anyway.. Hanshin I will follow you this year

FURE FURE FURE

 

[epigene]

Anyone who saw the game, did you notice how the Korean fans outnumbered the Japanese fans by a margin of like 10 to 1?

It was worse when Japan lost to Korea in the 2nd round.
I remember the commentors saying that the ratio was something like 6:4 yesterday?
The Korean community in California is strong and tightly knit, especially because they are later arrivals than the Japanese (meaning many are still first- and second generation immigrants).

The Japanese Americans have so integrated into US society (with very high rate of interracial marriages) that, in my personal observation, have less and less affility and interest in Japan proper. You can't expect them to be at the stadium. Probably, only the Japanese expats tried their best to be there for the Japan team.

 

[epigene]

stop making me more sad Mika, I COULD NOT SEE THE MATCH!!
POOR ME..... Well anyway.. Hanshin I will follow you this year
FURE FURE FURE

Go check mlb.com, Dutch!

You have to pay to see the full game, but you can catch scenes from the game there.

 

[godppgo]

It was worse when Japan lost to Korea in the 2nd round.
I remember the commentors saying that the ratio was something like 6:4 yesterday?
The Korean community in California is strong and tightly knit, especially because they are later arrivals than the Japanese (meaning many are still first- and second generation immigrants).
The Japanese Americans have so integrated into US society (with very high rate of interracial marriages) that, in my personal observation, have less and less affility and interest in Japan proper. You can't expect them to be at the stadium. Probably, only the Japanese expats tried their best to be there for the Japan team.

I've noticed the same thing too. Japanese communities in California have a much longer history than Korean communities and they are also more integrated into the American society than the Koreans.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

About the fans:

Was it just me, or were the Korean fans not shy at all about trying to interfere with the game?

Remember when Ichiro got mad at the fans in the game they lost 1-2? The fans tried to push Ichiro out of the stands, contributing to his inability to catch that foul ball.

In this last game, I could have sworn that the Korean fans did their best to try to deflect (was it Tamura's?) a homerun by Japan. I'm talking about when a seat cushion fell from the upper stands where the ball entered.

I did not approve. I am all for cheering your home team, but I draw the line at trying to affect the outcome of the game. With behavior like that, it would be no wonder if Japanese people got a bad impression of the Koreans. A never ending cycle, I suppose....

 

[Glenn]

Kind of like your avatar.

By the way, epigene, you just saved me a lot of typing for when I want to visit the official MLB website from now on. I thought I had to type out the whole title. I'm pretty sure it used to be like that...

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

World Baseball Classic

Incidentally, here is the site for the WBC.