Japanese Baseball Tour

[Blarg]

My last game in the AFL I was making my way down to a seat behind home plate when I spot a guy with a Phillies hat but a Los Angeles Angels T Shirt on. So I start up with a conversation about how he seems a little confused and he says, no a lot confused. I don't remember too much of the game and it was a pretty good one.

Leon DeHaven has been just about everywhere from Florida to Hawaii with a short stint in Gitmo and was an Anaheim resident for 20 years, now living in Arizona where baseball is played 80% of the year.

Like myself he finds the fall league to be something special, a gathering of the next crop of major league players in some beautiful facilities putting on a show with a ticket price about the same as a hot dog.

He has been across the nation and has stopped in many small towns where the independent leagues are the only intertainment. But his passion for baseball extends to overseas as well and not just subscribing to Japanese Baseball on the Internet, but travelling to Japan to spend a couple weeks at a time absorbing the culture and the game.

He hands me a business card that has another familiar name on it, Bob Bavasi the son of former Angels GM Buzzi Bavasi. They are involved in arranging a two week baseball tour of Japan for people interested in seeing in person the game played overseas.

The cost per person comes to about $5k for the package when all totaled up. Some are fixed cost expenses that translate to tickets to venues, hotel rooms and rail transportation along with an interpreter/guide. Other uncontrolled cost is airfare and outside of the tour package tourist costs like shopping and visiting sites like museums and temples. This may raise the total cost depending on the fluctuations in the Yen.

For more complete details you can check out their website www.Japanball.com

Currently the complete schedule for 2016 isn't finished but it is planned to take place the first weeks of September.

Edited October 31, 2015 by notti

[Slegnaac]

Very interesting.

About 5.5k if you are riding solo and want to do the max number of games.

[Blarg]

Costs may fluctuate because it is 10 months away but it seems like one of those dream vacations.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Was able to hit a japanese baseball game a long time ago. It was a ton of fun. Reminded me of a college football atmosphere

Their beer vendors are not only far more efficient than ours, but far hotter (if youre a pervert. Or just have a pulse)

[gotbeer]

Wonder if they have some games of the High School Tourney.  Heard that is just an unreal experience.

[Broad Street]

Saw a game while I was stationed in Okinawa, it was pretty cool. Didn't understand a word that was said, but I understand the game so I had that going for me.