Hey all, throughout December, and into January, I'll be putting out brief history videos on all 12 NPB teams. The next video will be on the Orix Buffaloes. My Patreon: / gaijinbaseball My Twitter: / gaijinbaseball
I think the Yakult's upper management mindset on colleration between the success of the team and the sales and profits is the perfect example of the negative effects of the corporation putting their name in the Pro Sports Team. Could you imagine Detroit Little Caesars Tigers being worried about their pizza sales in Cleveland whenever they got into postseason?
If you’re ever in Tokyo make sure to buy their shirts that only say Swallows to give your friends and family as gifts. Perfect to wear without any context. Nah but for real though some of their stuff does pop. I’m loving this series on the teams. Great bites into their histories and what made them into the clubs they are now.
I actually did this on my last trip. Got the home colors. The uniform is made of great material. I got Nagaoka #7 because coincidentally we share a birthday. Meiji Jingu really gives me a more homely vibe despite it only being like 5 minutes for the massive National Stadium up the road.
Swallows has some serious beef with Tigers that should be covered by SB Nation. 😂 (e.g. Matt Murton slided towards Swallows' catchers before Posey rule was adopted by NPB, and several occasions that Swallows clinched Central League pennants by winning a game vs. Tigers at the end of season)
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows: If the New York Mets were owned by a company run by New York Yankees fans. I've been told that the team's 7th Inning Stretch Song includes the phrase "Go to hell, Yomiuri!" and I wouldn't blame them if that was true.
The idea of a company being scared about losing profits in a certain city because their sports arm winning has to be one of the funniest and silliest things I've heard. Still...glad that the yogurt birds have decided to fly high again (albeit not at this current moment of typing this). Wish they would still keep Meiji Jingu though. *sigh* Awesome video, Gaijin Baseball.
I went to a game in 2017 at Meiji Kyujou. Oh man, was it fun. Swallows fans are wonderful and the game itself was a banger against DeNA. There really isn't a bad seat in the house at Meiji, and it's wonderfully accessible from Gaiemmae Station on the Ginza Line. I really do like the Swallows.
Does anyone know how to watch them in North America? I know there's Pacific league TV for that league and the hanshin Tigers have their own service but I can never find a way to watch swallows games :(
