My Book Ⅰ
Written by Hiroyuki Ikeda
［No.39］
Will the Hanshin Tigers Become the Japan Series Champion? 10/28/2014
The Japan Series ( of professional baseball ) opened in Koshien stadium on October 25. This is the 6th time the Hanshin Tigers have reached the series and 3rd time to face the Softbank Hawks. This is their 15th time to be the champions of the Pacific League. Until now, the Tigers have played against the Hawks and been beaten twice by them in the series. This serves as the 3rd confrontation and will be determined by four victories. The Tigers has been challengers since 1985 when they became No.1 in Japan. This year the Tigers won their way through the post-season climax series with no losses. Although fighting 4 times in Koshien, home ground of the Tigers, since four victories is a championship, a few games may be played where the opponents have home field advantage.
But one thing that may be worrisome for a while is the ill-mannered Tigers fans. On the night of October 18, the day the Tigers won the victory in the climax series (CS), many fans were seen diving with joy into the 3.4-meter deep Dotonbori River from Ebisubashi Bridge in Chuo-ku, Osaka-city. No less than 60 people jumped into the river. But it may change to "a dive of sadness" depending on the outcome of the very dangerous act. "Since this is a really dangerous act, we want you to stop it," say the personnel of the Osaka Construction Bureau Management Department who have assumed a strong tone. This is quite a natural response since the drowning of a man in his twenties at the time of the Hanshin’s championship in September, 2003. It is also inresponse to many spectators who "instigated" the stupid diving. Although a policeman called out strongly, saying "Do not jump in", 60 people jumped in this time. It became a big deal for the Osaka National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, as they are standing near the bridge in preparation. The Dotonbori River where people turn out has become very muddy even when looking from bridge. According to the vocational school which performed a water survey, "The number of standard bacteria in the Dotonbori River is 660 pieces to 1 ml. A toilet seat and bowl have 50 standard bacteria and 83 respectively per 10 square centimeters. Therefore, it is a sin, as jumping in is akin to rubbing one’s face against the toilet bowl. "When colon bacillus and standard bacteria enter from a membrane, there are worries about congestion, eye conditions, diarrhea, etc. It becomes severe with the sludge which has accumulated there, and the smell is also severe. Diving is also life threatening. One shopping center manager made a bitter face and said, “ They went to our convenience store or public bath after jumping into the river. They came with an awful smell and made trouble with customers. Jumping in -- yes, it's a problem”. “ Let’s rise up speaking about the championship of the Hanshin Tigers with no trouble this time! ".
Yes, I want you to win and delight us. Let’s avoid that which makes trouble.
And still -- Tigers -- do your best !
阪神タイガース、日本シリーズ優勝はなるか？
プロ野球の日本シリーズが10月25日、甲子園で開幕した。パ・リーグの覇者で出場15回目のソフトバンクホークスにセ・リーグ2位で6回目の阪神タイガースが挑む。タイガースは今までシリーズでホークスと対戦して2度破れていて、これが3度目の対決となり、先に4勝した方が勝ちとなる。タイガースは1985年に日本一になって以来の挑戦で、今回はポストシーズンのCSクライマックスシリーズを無敗で勝ち上がった。タイガースの本拠地の甲子園で4度闘うが、4勝した方が優勝なので少し地の利で有利かもしれない。
少し気になることがある。マナーが悪いタイガースファンのことである。
クライマックスシリーズ（CS）に優勝した10月18日の夜には、大阪市中央区道頓堀の戎橋から水深3.4メートルの川へ歓喜のダイブを行う人が多く見られたが、60人もの人が飛び込んだ。それは大変危険な行為のため、場合によっては「悲哀のダイ
ブ」へと変わりかねない。「これは本当に危険な行為だから止めて欲しい」と強い口調で訴えるのは大阪市建設局管理部工務課の職員。それもそのはず、2003年9月の阪神優勝の時には、20代の男性がダイブした際に溺れて死亡するなどの事故も起きている。多くの見物客が飛び込みを「あおった」せいもあった。警察官が「飛び込まないで下さい」と強く呼び掛けたが結果的には今回は60人がダイブした。大阪市消防局の隊員ももしもの際に備えて橋付近で待機するなど，大掛かりなものとなった。橋から覗き込んでもだいぶ濁っていることがわかる道頓堀川。水質調査を行っている専門学校に聞いてみても,「道頓堀川は細菌の数が1ミリリットルに660個。トイレの便器と比較したら、便器には10平方センチあたり83個、便座には50個の一般細菌があるんです。だから、飛び込むということは、便器に顔をなすり付けているようなものですね。」大腸菌や一般細菌が粘膜から入ると、下痢などの食中毒のような症状のほか、目の充血やその他にも心配がある。川底にたまっているヘドロで汚れがひどくなり、匂いもひどい。命の危険もある。商店街の人が「過去には飛び込んだあとでコンビニや銭湯に行って、匂いとかで迷惑を掛けたなんて話もあるが、飛び込むのはええことないよ。阪神の優勝はあくまで、迷惑かけん形で盛り上がろうや」と苦い顔で話していた。
タイガースが勝って楽しませて欲しい、が迷惑を掛ける騒ぎはいけませんね。
それでもやっぱり、タイガース！ がんばれ、タイガース！
Fifth –inning outburst carries Tigers to Game 1 triumph over Hawks
From Japan Times, Sports
The Hanshin Tigers put runners on every base with two outs in the fifth inning in the opening game of the Japan Series asathe zeal and frenzy of their fans in the stands shot to new levels. Then the cleanup trio went work.
Mauro Gomez, Matt Marton, and Kosuke Fukudome reeled off consecutive two-out hits and combined to drive in five runs during the inning to help the title starved club get the Japanese Fall Classic off to a roaring start with a 6-2 win over the Fukuoka Softbank hawks in front of an amped-up crowd of 45,293 at Koshien Stadiam on Saturday night. “It’s good to get this game under our belts with a victory, but we have to remember it is just the first game against a tough team,” Tigers manager Yutaka Wada said. “We have to keep winning and will do our best tommorow to take a 2-0 lead before we go on the road.” The Tigers lead the best-of-seven series 1-0. Game 2 is schejuled for Sunday night at 6:15 back at Koshien Studium.
“Winning the first game obviously feels good,” Murton said. “But you’ve got to win four in order to win a series. “It’s good to get a good start, but tomorrow is an new opportunity.” Gomez said before Saturday’s contest that the biggest game he’d ever played in was the ninth game of championship series one winter in the Dominican Republic, though he couldn’t remember exactly which year or how he did ( he thinks he only had a couple of walks). He will certainly remember his first Japan Series experience. Tigers and Randy Messenger got the start and the win for Hanshin in Game 1.
“It’s a privilege when the coaching staff and everyone feels you should be the first guy out three,” Messenger said. “It’s a privilege and an honor, and I just wanted to go out there
and do my job.”
The Tigers will be looking to go ahead 2-0 in the series with on Sunday night, before the scene shifts to Fukuoka for Games 3,4 and if necessary 5.
“We had a six-day interval after winning the Climax Series with the ( NPB ) draft in between,” Wada said. “So it was a long week for us, but we played well and will come back tomorrow ready to win again,”
Hawks eliminate Tigers on bizarre game-ending double play, capture Japan Series title : Manager Koji Akiyama’s club wins four straight games to earn championship
Nobuhiro Matsuda put the Hawks in the lead with RBI single in the eighth and a tightly contested game ended in almost chaotic fashion as the Hawks outlasted the Hanshin Tigers to win the Japan Series with a 1-0 victory in Game 5 on Thursday at Yaofuku Dome. The Tigers staged a frantic rally in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with one out for Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who hit a grounder to first. Softbank’s Kenji Akashi threw to catcher Toru Hosokawa for the force out at home, and Nishioka was called out of running outside the lane on his way to first while trying to beat out the double play.
Confusion reigned for a few seconds, until the Hawks realized they’d won and spilled out or their dugout to begin their celebrations. Softbank won the series 4-1 and never trailed after losing Game 1, winning four straight to close it out.
Matsuda delivered the decisive hit with his tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth off Tigers starter Randy Messenger, who was valiant in defeat. “ Obviously I didn’t want to give up that run there in the eight inning, but that’s baseball,” Messenger said. “I pitched my (butt) off for 7 2/3.” Messenger was given the Fighting Spirit Award as the top player from the losing team. He won Game 1 and allowed three runs in his 142/3 innings on the mound. “It’s bittersweet,” Messenger said. “How we lost the game, and we go home now. We didn’t do our job and win the championship like we wanted. ”
The Hawks’ win sent Akiyama out on top. The 52-year-old manager announced his intention to step down before the Hawks began the postseason and he’ll leave as a champion.
The loss means Hanshin will have to wait at least one more year to add to its lone Japan Series title, won in 1985. The Tigers came up short with runners on
base throughout Game 5, and fell victim to the umpire’s decision on the path Nishioka took from the batter’s box to first at the end. “We just lost the series.” Tigers
outfielder Matt Murton said. “Congratulations to the Hawks, they had a great season. Very disappointing way for that game to finish.” Messenger took the loss for the
Tigers.
阪神タイガース Tigers : http://hanshintigers.jp/
大阪ミナミ道頓堀、戎橋 Osaka Minami Dotonbori, Ebisubashi
聖書の言葉 from The Bible
人間にはただ一度死ぬことと、その後に裁きを受けることが定まっているように、キリストも、多くの人の罪を負うためにただ一度身を献げられた後、二度目には、罪を負うためではなく、ご自分を待望している人たちに、救いをもたらすために現れてくださるのです。
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall be appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
ヘブライ人への手紙 9章28節
HEBREWS 9-27,28