# Thanks MLB, Opening Day should be in Japan! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 30, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217 "2004-03-30T01:30:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/21 "2004-03-31T02:34:07Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Anyone else notice the am/pm bilboards behind home plate? Didn’t know they had convenience stores in Japan 😕 Of course they have convenience stores in Japan. This isn’t the third world. Slurpees, sadly, are not generally available, but the convini do provide a much better selection of lunch foods than their American counterparts. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/22 "2004-03-31T03:51:38Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > I wondered why the Yomiuri Giants played in the Tokyo Dome. Interesting. Yep, pretty much every team is company-run. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants - Yomiuri News Chiba Lotte Marines - Lotte Foods Seibu Lions - Seibu Department Stores Nippon Ham Fighters - Nippon Ham Yakult Swallows - Yakult Beverages Yokohama BayStars - Taiyo Fisheries Chuunichi Dragons - Nagoya Chuunichi News Kintetsu Buffaloes - Currently Kintetsu Department Stores, but they seem to be up for grabs Hanshin Tigers - dunno Orix Blue Wave - Orix Rentals Hiroshima Carp - Hiroshima City. This is the only non-corporate team. Fukuoka Daiei Hawks - Daiei Foods What I find weird is that half the teams are all located in or around Tokyo. ---
**Author:** ![Ace\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Ace\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace_Face)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/23 "2004-03-31T04:13:00Z")
“Nippon Ham Fighters - Nippon Ham” – I’m particularly fond of this name. Instead of “Nippon Ham–Fighters” I always read it as “Nippon–Ham Fighters.” I can’t help picturing a deranged player whacking a canned ham with his bat. “Hanshin Tigers - dunno” – IIRC Hanshin is a chain of department stores in the Kansai area. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/24 "2004-03-31T04:23:22Z")
> [@Ace\_Face](#): > > “Nippon Ham Fighters - Nippon Ham” – I’m particularly fond of this name. Instead of “Nippon Ham–Fighters” I always read it as “Nippon–Ham Fighters.” I can’t help picturing a deranged player whacking a canned ham with his bat. I hear they’re looking into picking up Randall Simon from Pittsburg after seeing his skill at [slapping the sausage](http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0709/1578808.html) last year. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/25 "2004-03-31T13:51:09Z")
Fascinating. So why is Hiroshima the sole exception? And is the fact that they aren’t company owned an advantage in drawing fans or keeping fan loyalty? Am I reaching beyond your area of expertise? ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/26 "2004-03-31T14:25:57Z")
It’s only a matter of time before we have the Atlanta Coca Cola Braves, the Seattle Microsoft Mariners, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/27 "2004-03-31T14:52:41Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Fascinating. So why is Hiroshima the sole exception? And is the fact that they aren’t company owned an advantage in drawing fans or keeping fan loyalty? Am I reaching beyond your area of expertise? Way beyond my area of expertise, but according to [this site](http://www.baywell.ne.jp/users/drlatham/baseball/yakyu/teams/carp.htm), their only partly city owned, and partly owned by Toyo Automobiles. I’ll hazard a guess that they have a better share of local fan loyalty than a lot of other teams, partly because they’re the only team in the area (compared with 6 in the Tokyo region and 3 in the Osaka-Kobe region), and partly because the team was started only two years after the atomic bombing and so was seen (for a while, anyway) as a symbol of the city’s recovery. The team with the biggest fan base is probably the Giants, who are generally considered to be “Japan’s team”. Fan loyalty is less a matter of which team you like than whether you love or hate the Giants (I’m a hater). ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/28 "2004-03-31T14:55:12Z")
Oh, and I don’t know why they’re the exception. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/29 "2004-04-01T04:53:47Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Didn’t know they had convenience stores in Japan 😕 Oh my gog, do we! Seriously, you can’t walk a kilometre without going past at least three or four. Convenience stores are the ultimate symbol of contemporary Japanese culture. > [@Sublight](#): > > Hanshin Tigers - dunno The Tigers are owned by [the Hanshin Railway Co.](http://www.hanshin.co.jp/) They also own department stores. Kintetsu is also a train company that owns a few department stores. > [@](#): > > Way beyond my area of expertise, but according to this site, their only partly city owned, and partly owned by Toyo Automobiles. The official name of the Carps is “Hiroshima Toyo Carps”. Toyo changed their name to Mazda in 1984 but the team’s name stayed the same. The team is owned by Hajime Matsuda, great-grand-son of Toyo founder. The Carps were founded as a “municipal team” (_shimin kyudan_) with financing coming from Hiroshima city, Hiroshima prefecture and local businesses. However, Toyo became the main owner in 1967. I don’t think the English pages you cited are accurate in this regard. Historically, the Carps are different but nowadays they’re pretty much like other teams. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/30 "2004-04-01T05:18:25Z")
Um… Because in the first game TB showed that the Skanks ain’t all that? Because it’s a 14-hour flight each way? And a tougher adjustment coming this direction? Because they’re both going to be dead tired going into the season? Because Mu$$inna got raped in his first start? Because the Skanks were in DEAD LAST PLACE? Because their fans (cro-magnons that they are…) were deeply disappointed that “The Mighty Fucking Yankees” were shown to be the AVERAGE bunch of money-grubbing LOSERS that they are? Work with me here… I don’t see a downside to this… ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/31 "2004-04-01T11:34:43Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Let me get this straight. Major League Baseball, the national pastime of the United States is having their opening day in Japan. OK, I’ll deal with that as they could care less about the Cincinnati opening day tradition. However, the opening day game is only available on internet pay per view? I do actually get up around 5 am EST, I’d watch the game on my cable or…heaven forbid…broadcast tv. I’ll remind MLB that I will watch the minor leagues, college, or a little league team playing baseball. I doubt I’ll spend money at an MLB game this year. Were you upset when the MLB had Opening Day in Peurto Rico in 2001? Or in 2000, when they also opened in Japan? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/32 "2004-04-01T12:46:06Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Were you upset when the MLB had Opening Day in Peurto Rico in 2001? Or in 2000, when they also opened in Japan? _raises hand_ I was. Opening Day has long been established as special. Playing it in a park that has nothing to do with either of the teams detracts from that. You want an Opening Day in Japan? Then put a major league team in Japan. The hydrocephalic ninnies running baseball today are intent on destroying every tradition, whether it needs it or not. Just because something has been done for over 100 years does not automatically make it bad, but try to tell that to Selig and Co. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/33 "2004-04-01T13:02:02Z")
There may well be a team in PR one day. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/34 "2004-04-01T13:04:02Z")
And can you explain why the opener between Boston and Baltimore is cheapened by the fact that the Yanks and Rays played 2 games in Japan? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/35 "2004-04-01T14:06:49Z")
I should’ve made that clearer. I was trying to say I didn’t know am/pm had stores in Japan. Not that Japan didn’t have convenience stores. Sorry for omission, and sorry that I inflamed a certain someone who thought I was calling Japan a 3rd world country. I’ll try to be more sensitive to your lack of abstract thinking and obvious desire to find offense in anything you can. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/36 "2004-04-01T14:11:40Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > There may well be a team in PR one day. One can only hope. I mean, look at what the NFL has done with all their PR. Oh. You mean Puerto Rico. Possibly, but not anytime soon I don’t think. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/37 "2004-04-01T14:13:47Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > I should’ve made that clearer. I was trying to say I didn’t know am/pm had stores in Japan. Not that Japan didn’t have convenience stores. The funny thing is that I was shocked to find they had Circle-K’s in the US! I thought it was a Japanese chain. Before this thread, I wasn’t so sure about am/pm. The only one I _knew_ wasn’t Japanese was 7-11. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/38 "2004-04-01T14:29:05Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > One can only hope. I mean, look at what the NFL has done with all their PR. > > Oh. You mean Puerto Rico. > > Possibly, but not anytime soon I don’t think. You really don’t see Puerto Rico getting the Expos? As far as the negotiations go, it looks like it’s down to them or D.C. getting the team. Look at all the talent MLB gets from that whole region and they seem a strong contender of having a team. That and the fact Baltimore is so close. Selig wants the money and D.C. weighs in heavily to the Baltimore telvision contract ---
**Author:** ![Ottoerotic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ottoerotic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ottoerotic)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/39 "2004-04-01T18:29:58Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > As a liflelong Brewer’s fan I’ll say this. > > I have a bottle of Dom that will be opened the moment Bud Selig and his idiot daughter Wendy are no longer associated with baseball whatsoever. Here here, as another lifelong Brewer’s fan, I concur. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217/40 "2004-04-01T18:42:41Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > You really don’t see Puerto Rico getting the Expos? As far as the negotiations go, it looks like it’s down to them or D.C. getting the team. Look at all the talent MLB gets from that whole region and they seem a strong contender of having a team. > That and the fact Baltimore is so close. Selig wants the money and D.C. weighs in heavily to the Baltimore telvision contract Nope, Puerto Rico has no chance whatsoever. Too poor and too far away. Sure, we get a lot of talent from there, but we get more talent from the Dominican and there’s no rush to give them a franchise. Frankly, I think the Expos will be in Montreal for the next two seasons at least. What they need is an owner who cares, although maybe the bridges have been burned too much with that franchise in that city (Montreal dopers might be able to say). They’ll probably end up in Las Vegas, thus completing Bud Selig’s cycle of hypocrisy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-mlb-opening-day-should-be-in-japan/237217.md?page=3)