Nichi-Bei Game Three

For the duration of the game I'll have a chat server up here.

It's pretty much just setup with the default settings right now. If this sort of functionality is desired, I'll consider customizing it and adding it permanently.

Derick Lee drove in a run on a double into the gap in the bottom of the second against Hanshin's Igawa.

A pair of base hits and a sacrifice fly later, MLB has cut NPB's lead in half.

And Ichiro gets his first hit of the Series, the ball just fair up the right field line and into the corner. He's got a standup double and RBI.

Igawa is looking like he's in trouble, walking Alomar in front of Bonds. But Bonds lines a hard liner toward right that is stabbed by Cabrera, who steps on the first base bag just ahead of a diving Aloma. Inning ending double play!

But the MLB struck back with 4 runs, cutting MPB's lead to 6-4.

Giving up three base hits in the top of the third to load the bases, Ohka got pulled. Fellow Expo Colon has come in to replace him.

And Colon gets out of the jam, holding MLB scoreless to keep the game interesting.

The final score for Game Three was NPB 8 - 6 MLB. Once again, the Japanese team has out done the Major Leaguers. I can only imagine that the MLBers are ready for the day off tomorrow.

Little Matsui got the game MVP award for NPB, Hunter (3 hits including a home run) got the Fighting Spirit award.

Japan has only won one other Nichi-Bei Series up until now. Could it be?

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Those who were on the chat, I don't know what happened there at the end, but it doesn't look like it was able to handle our small load. I'll look into the problem, but don't expect to have it going again this season. (I would like to know what those of you who joined thought of it, though.)

Oh, and I heard on the radio that the first Nichi-Bei game was in 1908. (To belatedly answer a question on the chat board.)

Hey, it just hit me. Is that what 1908's name refers to?

I wish I could take credit for that but it's just a serendipitous coincidence. I carried my screen name over from the Cubs.com Fan Forum and chose it because 1908 is the last time the Cubs won the World Series.

That's what 1908 refers to from now on.

I did manage to save a part of the log. It has some play by play that some might enjoy.

2002/11/12 18:14:17 : Manager TO ALL - westbaystars
2002/11/12 19:36:19 : Manager TO ALL - sagamiwara
2002/11/12 19:36:29 : sagamiwara TO ALL - hi
2002/11/12 19:36:36 : sagamiwara TO ALL - anyone here?
2002/11/12 19:41:02 : sagamiwara TO ALL - wastbaystars san here?
2002/11/12 19:45:22 : westbaystars TO ALL - Yes, I'm here.
2002/11/12 19:50:13 : sagamiwara TO ALL - hi
2002/11/12 19:50:32 : sagamiwara TO ALL - I watch game now
2002/11/12 19:51:15 : westbaystars TO ALL - On TBS? I take it you're in Japan, then?
2002/11/12 19:51:48 : sagamiwara TO ALL - on TBS
2002/11/12 19:52:13 : sagamiwara TO ALL - Im Japanese so I can watch
2002/11/12 19:53:32 : sagamiwara TO ALL - Nakamura really good in this series
2002/11/12 19:53:32 : westbaystars TO ALL - Nice play Tani!
2002/11/12 19:53:38 : sagamiwara TO ALL - good play
2002/11/12 19:59:45 : westbaystars TO ALL - Matsui's wasn't deep enough. Bummer.
2002/11/12 20:00:16 : westbaystars TO ALL - Is Osaka Dome that much bigger? Or does the ball not carry as well?
2002/11/12 20:00:32 : Manager TO ALL - Arlo
2002/11/12 20:00:42 : Arlo TO ALL - hi all
2002/11/12 20:01:45 : westbaystars TO ALL - Hi, Arlo. And where are you joining us from?
2002/11/12 20:03:14 : Arlo TO ALL - Unfortunately, from the land of no nichi-bei coverage... Your commentary is the closest I can get to the action
2002/11/12 20:04:23 : westbaystars TO ALL - Well, then. You might be happy to hear that NPB is up with two down and runners at second and third.
2002/11/12 20:05:08 : westbaystars TO ALL - Hanshin's Imaoka is up to bat.
2002/11/12 20:05:13 : Arlo TO ALL - thanks, westbay-san. Who's at bat?
2002/11/12 20:05:21 : Arlo TO ALL - ah - thanks
2002/11/12 20:06:29 : westbaystars TO ALL - And Imaoka watches strike three.
2002/11/12 20:07:23 : westbaystars TO ALL - That retires the side without a run.
2002/11/12 20:07:55 : Arlo TO ALL - quick question: when was the first npb-mlb series held?
2002/11/12 20:08:57 : westbaystars TO ALL - It was in the 1930's. Whiting's "Wa" would have the anser to that.
2002/11/12 20:10:09 : westbaystars TO ALL - The 1934 one with Babe Ruth was the one that really sparked interest in a professional team and then league.
2002/11/12 20:10:33 : Arlo TO ALL - Thanks. Good point about Whiting - don't have that here to check at the moment.
2002/11/12 20:11:01 : Manager TO ALL - tgh
2002/11/12 20:12:15 : westbaystars TO ALL - TBS has got some neet graphics they superimpose over the field, ne Sagamiwara-san.
2002/11/12 20:13:45 : westbaystars TO ALL - MLB was shut down in order in the forth. NPB still leads 6-4.
2002/11/12 20:15:32 : sagamiwara TO ALL - Osaka dome is not small stadium
2002/11/12 20:15:53 : sagamiwara TO ALL - matsui not good in this seires
2002/11/12 20:16:18 : westbaystars TO ALL - Fukudome leads off the fifth with his third hit in as many at bats.
2002/11/12 20:17:09 : westbaystars TO ALL - No. Matsui's been a bit of a disappointment. I think the pressure of being an FA with Major aspirations might be ...
2002/11/12 20:17:17 : westbaystars TO ALL - ... getting to him.
2002/11/12 20:18:14 : Manager TO ALL - tgh
2002/11/12 20:18:56 : Arlo TO ALL - Have you seen any signs that H.Matsui is nervous? Any change in his routine at the plate, for instance?
2002/11/12 20:19:13 : westbaystars TO ALL - Tanishige singles to right. That puts runners at first and second.
2002/11/12 20:20:41 : westbaystars TO ALL - He look pretty much the same to me.
2002/11/12 20:21:04 : westbaystars TO ALL - Little Matsui, though, just came through with an RBI double to right!
2002/11/12 20:21:23 : sagamiwara TO ALL - H.Matsui also not good in Japanese series
2002/11/12 20:21:39 : westbaystars TO ALL - NPB now up 7-4. That was Matsui's third hit of the game.
2002/11/12 20:21:49 : sagamiwara TO ALL - Im Seibu fun and watching him in Seibu Dome
2002/11/12 20:22:54 : westbaystars TO ALL - Good point, Sagamura. Either Abe upstaged him or he choked.
2002/11/12 20:23:08 : Arlo TO ALL - This may be a bit off-topic, but what is the Japanese media saying about Little Matsui's future?
2002/11/12 20:23:21 : Arlo TO ALL - The American media seem to be trying to connect him with Boston...
2002/11/12 20:23:47 : westbaystars TO ALL - Fine play by hunter to cut down Kazuo trying to score from second on Tani's RBI single up the middle.
2002/11/12 20:24:55 : westbaystars TO ALL - Little Matsui, after saying that he wasn't interested in being posted, has pretty much dropped him.
2002/11/12 20:25:14 : westbaystars TO ALL - Nakamura Ks with a "full swing."
2002/11/12 20:25:31 : sagamiwara TO ALL - K Matsui our star player will go major 2004
2002/11/12 20:25:40 : westbaystars TO ALL - The media has dropped him, that is.
2002/11/12 20:26:40 : Arlo TO ALL - Thank you!
2002/11/12 20:27:11 : westbaystars TO ALL - Big Matui continues his hitless streak this game, grounding out to short on a changeup.
2002/11/12 20:27:12 : sagamiwara TO ALL - K Matsui our star player will go major 2004
2002/11/12 20:27:13 : sagamiwara TO ALL - Im Seibu fun and watching him in Seibu Dome
2002/11/12 20:28:09 : sagamiwara TO ALL - Cabrera will back major 2004 maybe
2002/11/12 20:28:41 : sagamiwara TO ALL - 4-5 major team watching cabu-chan
2002/11/12 20:29:39 : westbaystars TO ALL - Going to the bottom of the fifth, NPB leads 8-4.
2002/11/12 20:30:08 : sagamiwara TO ALL - Bonds HR
2002/11/12 20:30:43 : westbaystars TO ALL - Bonds leads off the bottom of the 5th with his 4th home run of the Series. sugoi home run!
2002/11/12 20:31:11 : westbaystars TO ALL - Giambi lifted the ball too high to follow for a fly out.
2002/11/12 20:31:56 : westbaystars TO ALL - Nikkan's headline this morning, saying that Cabu-chan would be heading back to the Majors in 2004 surprized me.
2002/11/12 20:32:28 : westbaystars TO ALL - I thought he wanted to retire here. Oh, well.
2002/11/12 20:32:53 : westbaystars TO ALL - Wow! Hunter hits his second home run of the Series, and it's huge!
2002/11/12 20:33:35 : westbaystars TO ALL - It's a 2-run ball game again. NPB 8-6 MLB.
2002/11/12 20:33:58 : westbaystars TO ALL - Hunter is 3 for 3 in the game.
2002/11/12 20:34:19 : Manager TO ALL - smoke
2002/11/12 20:36:05 : westbaystars TO ALL - Loduca (sp?) just got his 3rd base hit of the evening, a base hit to center.
2002/11/12 20:36:48 : westbaystars TO ALL - And Hinski strikes out swinging to retire the side. But the Majors had a pair of home runs to come within two.

First of all, thanks to westbaystars-san for hosting this chat, and thanks to everyone who endured my ignorance of the Japanese game. I was able to learn a lot from listening to you.

If westbaystars-san's chat service isn't stable enough, you're again more than welcome to swing over to the fantasybaseballcafe.com chatroom (sagamiwara-san and I are there now, actually). I'd love to profit from your knowledge and updates yet again.

It would be amazing if the npb team won, wouldn't it? Together with several players coming over to the majors this season, this could be a turning point in the way Japanese baseball is preceived in North America...

Thank you, Arlo-san, for the interesting questions. It kept it from just being a play by play.

See you at the Cafe on Thursday, then.

Take care.