2008年01月24日
メジャー観戦
初のメジャーリーグ観戦は、クリーブランドのジェイコブズ・フィールド（Jacobs Field）でした。２００７年のリーグ優勝決定第３戦で、松坂大輔投手が大苦戦を強いられたインディアンズの本拠地です。
今から、１５年前のことです。その時の対戦カードは、インディアンズとカナダのモントリオール・エキスポスでした。エキスポスは、２００６年に本拠地をワシントンＤＣに移し、ナショナルズとなりました。
思い出は、試合の内容よりも、試合を見ながらのビールとホットドッグ。ビール容器のサイズの大きさ！に驚いたものです。試合は見なかったけど外観だけ見たのは、ヤンキー・スタジアム(Yankee Stadium)、サンフランシスコ・ジャイアンツの本拠地パシフィック・ベルパーク(Pacific Bellpark)、そしてボストンのフェンウェイ・パーク(Fenway Park)。
パシフィック・ベルパークは、イチロー選手が７年連続出場を果たした２００７年のＭＬＢオールスター戦で、ＭＬＢオールスター戦史上初となるランニング・ホームランを放った球場ですね。オークランド方面からベイブリッジをサンフランシスコへと走る車中から見にする球場で、その１５年後に、日本人選手がＭＬＢオールスターのＭＶＰを獲得するなんて想像もできませんでした。これから、どんな活躍を日本人メジャー・リーガーが見せてくれるのでしょう。
福留、黒田、薮田、小林、福盛の日本人選手が、新たに２００８年ＭＬＢレギュラー・シーズンに挑むそうです。近い将来、北京オリンピック日本代表チームのエース、ダルビッシュ投手も太平洋を渡るのでしょうか。
I attended a MLB game at Jacobs Field located in Cleaveland, Ohio
for the first time in 1992, where Daisuske Matsuzaka,starter, had one of the toughest
games against Indians as home team in the third game of American League
Championship Series. At the game, Indians competed against Montreal Expos, which,
moving from Motreal to Washington D.C.in 2006, is current Nationals. What impressed
me most there was rather beer and hotdogs I helped myself than what the game was
going on. What a large size of beer pot! Yankee Stadium, Pacific Bellpark and Fenway Park
were the ball parks I just saw from outside without watching games. Talking of Pacific
Bellpark, Ichiro, streak of 7 MLB All Star games played, got himself the firt inside-the-park
homer of the history in MLB All Star games in 2007.
Fifteen years ago, looking at the ball park out of the bus on board, crossing Bay Bridge
and heading for San Francisco from Oakland, I had no earthly idea that in 15years, a certain
Japanese MLB player should have won the MVP award of MLB All Star game. I'm looking
forward to how active Japanese MLB players will be in the seasons ahead. I hear that Fukudome,
Kuroda, Yabuta, Kobayashi, and Fukumori finished signed successfully with their respective
MLB teams. They are expected to contribute to teams in the various positions and roles of theirs.
In the near future, will Darvish Yu, ace pitcher of Japanese national baseball team bound for the
Beijing Olympics, fly over to US to be one of MLB players?
I attended a MLB game at Jacobs Field located in Cleaveland, Ohio
for the first time in 1992, where Daisuske Matsuzaka,starter, had one of the toughest
games against Indians as home team in the third game of American League
Championship Series. At the game, Indians competed against Montreal Expos, which,
moving from Motreal to Washington D.C.in 2006, is current Nationals. What impressed
me most there was rather beer and hotdogs I helped myself than what the game was
going on. What a large size of beer pot! Yankee Stadium, Pacific Bellpark and Fenway Park
were the ball parks I just saw from outside without watching games. Talking of Pacific
Bellpark, Ichiro, streak of 7 MLB All Star games played, got himself the firt inside-the-park
homer of the history in MLB All Star games in 2007.
Fifteen years ago, looking at the ball park out of the bus on board, crossing Bay Bridge
and heading for San Francisco from Oakland, I had no earthly idea that in 15years, a certain
Japanese MLB player should have won the MVP award of MLB All Star game. I'm looking
forward to how active Japanese MLB players will be in the seasons ahead. I hear that Fukudome,
Kuroda, Yabuta, Kobayashi, and Fukumori finished signed successfully with their respective
MLB teams. They are expected to contribute to teams in the various positions and roles of theirs.
In the near future, will Darvish Yu, ace pitcher of Japanese national baseball team bound for the
Beijing Olympics, fly over to US to be one of MLB players?
