Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Celebrity Commentary" (coming soon)
This is a "small" (小) post—click here for an explanation of Round and Square post lengths.
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One year ago on Round and Square (17 June 2012)—Accidental Ethnographer: A Yankee on the Yangtze (e)Two years ago on Round and Square (17 June 2011)—Hurtin' Country: Meetin' Hank (Williams)
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| [a] Individual and Society RF |
可飛ばせ, 山本!
Let 'er rip, Yamamoto! OR
Fly to base, Yamamoto!
Fly to base, Yamamoto!
—Common Japanese baseball chant
(Yamamoto is a common surname, like "Jenkins")
(Yamamoto is a common surname, like "Jenkins")
And every few swings, Yamamoto (and others) let's 'er rip...right toward your seat.
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| [b] Genderbeer RF |
One thing fans need to notice is those pesky, even dangerous, foul balls. One moment you can be chewing on your squid and sipping sake; the next moment you get smashed in the shoulder (and that's if you're lucky).
Well, in the socially-aware and risk-averse Japanese baseball stadiums, there is help. And don't even begin to think that those foul balls are innocuous. They can kill and maim.
New York Times When Foul Balls Become Lethal...
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| [c] Watch out RF |
Yesterday, you may recall that we mentioned the ubiquitous "beer girls" running through the stands to top off your Sapporo or Kirin. There is more, though. Again, most of this is gendered, but the "foul ball girls" are there to protect you, not just provide you with the brewed nectar of the deities.
Bat flip foul 0:46
Standing alert in your section, these young women serve and protect. Let's say that Yamamoto launches one right toward you. Immediately you will hear a shrill whistle, and look up from your snack (if you weren't cheering every movement before that)...often in time to duck or, perhaps, grab the foul ball with one hand...while holding a baby.
It really is a sight to behold. Unlike the danger zones of American ballparks, fans have that extra veneer of protection in Japan.
[If you don't read Japanese, but want to have some sense of the Japanese kana and kanji in these posts, just copy the phrases and paste them into translation software such as Babylon or Google Translate].
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