Korea's Way of Baseball

Last night a few new friends and I went to see a Korean baseball game. I was very, very excited because although I have been to many American baseball games, I had never been to a Korean one.

The game was at 6 at 목 동 (Mok-Dong) Stadium and we took the subway to get there. Thank goodness our friend from the CNY Korean school, Katie, was there to help us transfer on the subway. The ride wasn't bad at all and it only took about 20-30 minutes to get there. (And all for about $1 for a one-way ticket!)When we arrived, the game had already started and the crowd was already roaring! We sat in upper seats, but the entire field was in view. I remember when I first looked at the field, I saw something that was unfamiliar to me: the majority of the players were Korean. Even though I knew before we went that we were going to a Korean baseball game, I never actually thought about all the players being Korean. By the end of the game, though, the initial "shock" had worn off.

If I had to come up with one word that related to my Korean baseball game experience, it would probably be: passion. The Korean fans attending the game were incredibly loud and supportive of their teams. The two teams we saw were the 우 리 (Woori) Tigers v. the 롯 데 (Lotte) Giants. The Lotte Giants are currently the best team in the league, and they had a bigger fan base at the game than the home team, the Woori Tigers. One of my friends told me that the Giants have so much fandom because for the past 15 years they've been one of the worst teams, and this year, they've pulled it together.

I honestly have to say that I had more fun watching the fans and the commotion than the actual game. We sat on the Giants' side and there were a ton of people with the Giants' jersies on (a lot of them were girls), and they all had pom-pom like things in their hands and were shaking them constantly. They also had a certain song they sang for each player and a catchy chant too. There was not a time when there was any sort of silence. Baseball players in America have unbelievable amounts of pressure, but so do Korean baseball players. The crowd didn't really "boo" the opposing pitcher, but instead cheered for the player at bat like it was the seventh game of the World Series. The support of the fans was incredible.

You may wonder, "How do all the fans stay together and in sync with each other?" It's very simple. There was a man who stood on the dugout facing the crowd with a whistle and a microphone. He blew his whistle to the beat of the chants and lead the crowd in uproar. For one player, 가 르 시 아, (Garcia), the man on the dugout conducted the crowd like a choir, while the crowd sang a scale of notes. Katie mentioned to me that the player looked like former Yankee, Karim Garcia, and she was right! It's funny how we went to a Korean baseball game, yet somehow still saw a Yankee. :)

Another funny thing about the game was that each team had cheerleaders. They were more like dancers, but they were cute and high spirited. Also, whenever a person in the crowd caught a foul ball, we noticed, they gave it to a little child. I thought this was interesting because normally in the States, the people, (usually men), who catch foul balls keep it for themselves. I remember seeing at least 2 guys near us catch balls and then give it to young children near them. I noticed it was expected of them to give the ball to a child. One woman ran across a row of seats with her baby in her arms to try to persuade a man to give her the ball, but she was too late.

The players in Korea seem very widely known. My friend told me one of the players on the Giants is so talented and therefore, popular, that he is also an entertainer and an MC.

I had a lot of fun attending a foreign baseball game. It was another culture change I experienced and I'm glad I'm getting these opportunities.

For some pictures of the game, look below!
Allie