Baseball match

In Korea the most popular sport is baseball. Every day on TV there are matches and baseball programs and there are in lot of bars and restaurants a TV with them. Also, you can see people watching matches on phone everywhere.

Hyu-Jin Ryu, national idol who plays in Los Ángeles Dodgers

When I was a child I played baseball in Gavà baseball team (the team of my town). Is not a popular sport in Spain, but in Baix Llobregat (my region) there ar some teams and it’s a few more knew. Also, there has been a bit of tradition in my family, as my father and some of my uncles played when they were young.

When I arrived to Korea I recovered a bit the taste for baseball, as it makes me recover old memories, and also, it’s the only thing I can understand nowadays on TV ^^.

This Saturday I went to a baseball match. LG Twins (local team) versus Nexen (visitors). I read an advertisement on internet for foreigners who wanted to join the match, so I went.

'Sports Complex' baseball stadium

We were the guy who organized the meeting (from Korean parents born and grown in Chile) and three guys from United States, one from Mexican parents, other from Guatemalan parents and the other from Ohio, and me, so 4 of 5 we talk Spanish. The ticket cost was 12.000 wones (around 8€), very cheap compared with soccer tickets in Barcelona.

 

Match was enterntaining after 4^th ining, when pitchers were a bit more tired and more hits started to be done. Nexen won (it was supposed that we were supporting them as we were sitted in Nexen supporters zone) by 4 to 0.

But most remarkable thing were the supporters. I was explained already the peculiarities of Korean fans, but as always, when you see it in real is more funny. While one team was batting their fans never stopped cheering their team (I think they were more concerned to cheering than watching the match) and the other team were silent except when there were some 'out'. And when changing the batting team also changed the fans who were cheering. At each change out the Cheerleaders of the two teams went up to the platforms that were on the side of their supporters zone and the game was going on a weird man (between funny and ridiculous by their movements) went up on the platform choreographing and directing public chants. Both teams cheered throughout the game, even the fans of LG towards the end of the match when defeat was more than clear. And all despite being raining, with an small raincoat everything is fixed.

Here you can see the Cheerleaders en in action:

I have been said that this week the regular season ends and the playoffs begin. I will try to go to a game at the stadium of Jamsil, it has to be more interesting playoff games.