MLB vs NPB... a comparison of 'baseball' & 'yakyu'

by Don, With Malice...

So last night I went to a baseball game here in Japan (I'll give the full story of that on my own blog), but it really struck me how different NPB (Nippon Pro-baseball) is to MLB (ok... I haven't been to a heap of MLB games... yeah alright - just the one - and it was in Toronto [Mariners vs Bluejays] - but I've watched a HEAP on TV!!!). So, I thought a nice lil' comparison between the two'd be fun.

MLB vs NPB... a comparison of 'baseball' & 'yakyu' (Japanese for baseball)
1. Players - MLB has superstars, Japan has 'team concept'. Example... no matter what, if there's a runner on first with no outs, the team WILL bunt. No exceptions. I don't care if it was A-Rod at the plate, he WOULD be expected to bunt and advance the runner. Kinda hate that one. MLB +1

2. MLB has hotdogs et al, NPB has Yakisoba, lunchboxes (o-bento) and beergirls. NPB +1

3. Mascots - MLB has Mr Met et al, NPB (at least, the Dragon's game I went to) had 3 Dragons of different shapes, and a koala (Nagoya's zoo has the only koalas in Japan), Tokyo has the Jabbit. NPB +1 (ok, so I like dragons & koalas!)

4. Girls - I don't think I've been to a sporting event with so many absolute hotties. Even the one girl last night who walked past where I was sitting (very, very cute), then went down the stairs to our right, and got hit in the head with an almost-line-drive foul ball. Just cleared the safety net, and SMACK! - in the noggon. Stretchered off. Hope she's ok... she was cute. NPB +1

5. Cheerleaders - not even sure they HAVE cheerleaders in the Majors... Very, very cute cheerleaders for the Chunichi Dragons. NPB +1

6. Ballparks - nearly every goddamn stadium in Japan's a dome. They HAVE some open-air stadiums, but most teams have moved out of 'em. Koshien for the Hanshin Tigers is open-air, it rocks, and is perhaps the most famous stadium in Japan. Definitely a case of function over form. Practicality sucks. MLB +1

7. Team names. In Japan we have teams like 'Yakult Swallows' (very unfortunate), 'Nippon Ham Fighters', 'Carp', and the 'Buffaloes'. Well, Buffs isn't too bad... but the rest suck. Or swallow. Definitely even the Diamondbacks beats those... MLB +1

8. Transport... most Japanese ballparks are incredibly accessible. My local Nagoya Dome - get on the local subway, and go straight there (I realise that's just for me - as far as my local station). 2 minutes walk to station, 21 minutes there, 5 minutes walk to my seat. Still, the trip home is CROWDED as all hell. Not sure about MLB, so I'll give it a draw. MLB +1 NPB +1

9. Cheering - all Japanese cheering is organised chanting, more for the player's appearance than the game itself. MLB is more for when something happens, a reaction to what's going on in the game. Gimme that any day. MLB +1

10. Overall atmosphere - MLB has the dogs, the stars, the ballparks... NPB has hot girls, yakisoba, chanting, and domes... MLB, just. MLB +1

So overall, I think MLB wins at a score of 6-5. Still, if you're ever in Japan during baseball season, it's well-worth a trip, just to check out something a lil' different. Good fun.