The Daily Sport's Lamented Funny くんずほぐれつ

The Tigers paper, 'Daily Sports' used to run a little cartoon about everyday baseball folk (kunzuhoguretsu　くんずぐれつ). What was impressive about this was that it was topical, very funny and deeply offensive in its charactures. Mostly concerning Tigers players it did cover other teams occasionally. For example it the Carp's former manager Yamamoto being pleased that he had no longer to face 'the devil Hoshino' and then wishing for his return after being pounded by 'the devil Okada's' Tigers.

Tigers charactures were also very funny but also irreverant. Both Shimoyanagi and Sugiyama's (then) scruffy appearances were mocked with flies buzzing round them and a regular team punishment being to sit next to Shimoyanagi. Kanemoto was represented as always hitting Fujimoto.

Perhaps two standouts were the first interleague game with the Hawks where the Tigers were badly beaten and the coach telling Fujikawa and Kubota that they were probably not needed for the whole series. Kubota's response I've already booked my holiday plan. The other was Igawa throwing a tantrum (Ikitai, ikitai) when told he wasn't going to be posted. The charactures were very accurate if a bit compressed. Sadly the series finished suddenly - maybe the cartoonist got tired or someone in the Tigers organisation complained. It was a perfect representation of the Osaka sense of humour - irreverant, wild and biting.