Sunday, October 07, 2007

alternative to the bubble gum

Monday is Taiku no hi (Sports Day), it is a national holiday. So in commemoration of this day, I want to talk a little bit about...baseball.

In America, do the baseball cards still come with that really hard piece of gum? or do they just sell the cards without the gum?

In Japan, we get our baseball cards with....chips! Calbee, a large snack maker sells these 22 gram bags of chips with a packet of two cards attached to the bag.

Throughout the year, Calbee puts out 3 phases of the cards and you can get all sorts of players and stats, cards with hologram coatings, pretty exciting stuff...and so far, we've never gotten the same card! They also have a soccer version for you J-League fans.

Well, the play-offs (which the call "the climax series") start this Friday. But I need to rant....there are only 12 teams in the whole Japanese pro baseball league, I think the MLB has double that or maybe more? No reason to have play-offs here! they should just make more teams so there is more competition and more chances for the unknowns to get out there and play the game. They have only recently started having inter-league play where the teams of the 6 Pacific league teams get to play against the 6 Central League teams which is quite interesting and exciting. Up until then it was Pacific vs. Pacific and Central vs. Central and only during the "world series" do the two separate leagues' teams match up against each other,

So I shake my head as the play-offs start and hope that the Tigers (in 3rd place) can come from behind and whip everyone's butts to get a chance to play in the Japan's version of the world series.

Go Tigers!

p.s. Satoshi has been saying he wants to become a housewife and that I should go to work. I know why he says this....it is because our tv can view two baseball games (the play-offs) at the same time (one side with sound) and is being televised while he is at work! (as if watching the game was the only thing I did around here!)

14 comments:

  1. A new housewife is going to be in your home....naaa....don't think so!I have not seen gum inside baseball cards for a long time-don't know about that. I do know they are not in the chips I buy....

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  2. he he Jann, I know we won't have a new housewife anytime soon either.

    Thanks for stopping by. Take care.
    Kat

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  3. Go Tigers... I will be visiting Japan soon and maybe I can watch some of the Japan Series... It'd be nice if the Tigers were participating.

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  4. you have a great blog but it's getting harder to access because of the amount of stuff you put at your side bar.

    it take such a long time for me to view your blog. sorry I have an old computer and no broadband.

    it's not that I'm asking you to put less but just to let you know.

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  5. Yakyuushonen, I hope you will be able to watch the series and that the Tigers will be participating too (cross your fingers and toes!)

    Sandra Lee, sorry to hear that it is taking so long for you to view my blog. I wonder what could be the problem. Thanks for letting me know about it.

    Take care you two.
    Kat

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  6. That is so cool! I love how different countries do something - everyone's own unique take!

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  7. Thanks Jenndz, I think I would rather have the chips than the hard piece of gum.

    Thanks for stopping by, take care.
    Kat

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  8. Another year of the collapse of the NY Yankees in post season play?

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  9. he he Nate, they are winning in Game 3 as I type. Would be nice for the Indians to move on though...

    Take care.
    Kat

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  10. Just finished watching the Yankees. They're still in it!

    Now to watch Green Bay vs. Chicago in NFL football.

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  11. Hopefully the will be able to win on their homeground, Nate.

    Have fun watching football.

    Take care.
    Kat

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  12. I was just watching a little Japanese baseball tonight. It was Giants vs Swallows. I don't watch these games too long though cause it's on the Korean station and I can't understand the announcers! How much do tickets to these games cost in Japan? Is it hard to get tickets?

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  13. Depends on the stadium Lori, but for the Tigers the right and left field are 1700 yen (about US$17), 1st/3rd alps (which are up high) 2500 (about US$25), 1st/3rd ivy (which are right behind the bases) 4000 yen (about US$40). The seats behind home plate up to 1st/3rd bases are bought out by companies, so if you have connections you are able to sit here.

    Take care.
    Kat

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  14. Lori, I forgot to mention that if the team is popular, getting tickets may be hard.

    Take care.
    Kat

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