Nippon Series Game 7
Orix was starting their second best pitcher, Hiroya Miyagi, who had a scoreless streak of over 17 innings when the game started.
Over 12,000 Hanshin fans showed up at Koshien (where they opened part of the stadium) to watch the game on the big screen. The tickets sold out in 5 minutes.
The game was scoreless after three innings, and the tension was thick.
In the top of the fourth, MLB journeyman Sheldon Neuse came to the plate for Hanshin with two men on base. He was batting under .200 for the series.
Out of nowhere, he hit a home run into the left-field stands. Just like that, Hanshin was up 3-0.
They added 3 more runs in the fifth, to go up 6-0. I kept waiting for Orix's comeback, but there wasn't one.
Final score: Hanshin 7, Orix 1.
It was their first championship since 1985, ending the third-longest drought in NPB history. It ended the Curse of the Colonel, too.
What?
In 1985, a Tigers fan threw a statue of Colonel Sanders into the Dotonbori River, and the resulting "curse" was blamed for Hanshin's lack of success since then. Now the curse was over, and in a hilarious touch, a Tiger's fan dressed like Colonel Sanders jumped into the Dotonbori River during the celebration.
Well-played, sir. No notes.
I feel incredibly lucky to have missed 37 years and 10 months of a 38-year drought while still getting to enjoy the championship. And I'm happy for the bartender in Kyoto, who is probably still celebrating.
<< Home