Down on the farm!

Posted in Japan on 7 June, 2015 (16:25)

Down on the farm!I went to Koshien this Tuesday to see the Tigers play the Marines, had a great time with friends but witnessing that 9th inning Marines grand slam in person was a bit of a gut punch. Anyway, before heading up to Koshien I took a trip to nearby Naruohama to visit the Tigers Den, the Hanshin training ground.

Down on the farm!
Also known as the farm, this is the place where younger players spend their time, as well as veterans who are recuperating from an injury or need some downtime to get back on track. Entry is free and there are regular morning and early afternoon games against visiting farm teams – farm schedule here. Facilities are minimal so if you want beer or food, you’d better bring your own!

Down on the farm! Down on the farm!
One of the great things about the farm is the size, there’s seating for a few hundred people at most, all infield. No matter where you sit you’re guaranteed to be close to the action.

Tuesday was a game against the Orix Buffaloes farm team, unfortunately it ended in an 8 – 4 loss but it was still an exciting game, plus I got to see some main squad guys up close! Taiga Egoshi and Ryutaro Umeno!

Taiga Egoshi
Egoshi up to bat, home dugout was right under me, on third base side which was a little strange as it’s usually first base side.

Taiga Egoshi
Looking for a hit…

Taiga Egoshi
And BOOM!

Ryutaro Umeno
Here comes Umeno!

Ryutaro Umeno
Umeno got two hits and an RBI in this game, good job! Slightly off topic, but I find batting stances really interesting, everyone has their own unique style, from Fukodome’s perfectly vertical bat, to Murton’s little bounce thing and Uemoto’s incredibly awkward looking stretched stance, but whatever works!

I’d definitely recommend a visit, it’s a great chance to see the up and coming players, and perhaps even a well known face or two! The Tigers Den is accessible by bus from Koshien stadium(Hanshin bus No.7 stop) or it’s a 20 minute walk from Mukodanchimae station(that’s how I went)

Thanks for reading! Here are some of my other posts you might like

Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake devastates Japan
Remembering my first trip to Japan - Day Five
Preparing for the great adventure
Tsuyonoten Shrine(Ohatsu Tenjin Shrine)
Asahi Super Dry Extra Cold bars return for 2013!
Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine

Comments

3 Responses to Down on the farm!

Comment avatars powered by Gravatar, get yours now

    • http://www./ on 23 October, 2016 at (00:42)

      Great tremendous issues here. Iˇm very satisfied to peer your article. Thanks a lot and i’m looking forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?

    • http://www./ on 13 November, 2016 at (16:15)

      Jeg mener nå at barnehage ikke passer i så høy alder som foreslås. Dersom ikke de unge klarer å finne aktiviteter selv, så er det mer dyptgripende problemer vi står overfor. Kanskje den offentlige skolen passiviserer og fjerner eget initiativ fra de unge?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *