Attendance at Chiba Marine?
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Re: Attendance at Chiba Marine?
[ Author: Guest: skinz | Posted: Jun 17, 2006 1:19 AM
]
Amen to that. Matter of fact, everytime I see a Japanese baseball game it always looks empty no matter if the team is tearing it up. I just don't understand it, it always looks like there are less than 2,000 people sometimes.
Re: Attendance at Chiba Marine?
[ Author: Christopher | Posted: Jun 18, 2006 11:18 AM
| HAN Fan
]
Location is the answer to why Chiba Marine does not attract so many spectators. Like Seibu it is not an easy ground to get to. Another factor is that the only teams who can regularly command large amounts of travelling supporters are the Giants and Tigers. Most teams do not bring anywhere near the same number of supporters with them and in consequence grounds look empty.
Re: Attendance at Chiba Marine?
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jun 18, 2006 11:58 AM
| YBS Fan
]
Another factor is rain. Of the two games you mentioned, I remember watching one on TV with heavy rain pouring down in the background. I was very happy to be watching it from the comfort of home.
But the Marines' fans in the right field stands were singing oen songs, bouncing up and down without umbrellas, in that pouring rain. Those are some dedicated fans.
But the Marines' fans in the right field stands were singing oen songs, bouncing up and down without umbrellas, in that pouring rain. Those are some dedicated fans.
Re: Attendance at Chiba Marine?
[ Author: Guest: Gary Garland | Posted: Jun 18, 2006 5:48 PM
]
I think that there are five things that inhibit attendance at Chiba Marine Stadium:
- Chiba is basically a big bedroom community for Tokyo. Given Japanese working hours, the locals in Chiba are often on the trains on their way home when the game is just about over.
- Chiba Marine Stadium, with the winds that blow off the ocean, just isn't all that comfortable a place to see a game. It is Japan's Candlestick.
- The Marines have a great hardcore following, but they haven't had much success over the years until last season and so they really haven't caught on among the fans who are the frontrunning types (i.e., most sports fans). That is hindered to a degree by the fact that they don't have any real charismatic players like an Ichiro, a Kiyohara, or a Matsuzaka. Without a strong core of real stars they lack that sort of "daikokubashira" feeling one gets from the Giants or Tigers. This is a team of Joe Lunchpails. That's great, but not enough in celebrity crazy Japan.
- They are in the same media market as the Giants, who have much longer and stronger roots in that market than the Marines do, and so the Giants suck up all the media air. And in Japan, media time = perception of popularity = popularity. This isn't a Yankees vs. Mets issue. It's a Yankees vs. the Elmira Pioneers issue. Not that I'm saying that Lotte is a minor league outfit. It is just an analogy of how outclassed they are in the media.
- The sports audience is mostly male. When guys have time off in Japan from their obligatory 60-70 hour weeks, they often just want to stay home and decompress or catch up on missed sleep. Or their wife wants to do some family activity she has organized, and since women aren't sports fans, generally speaking, that "kazoku time" isn't going to include baseball. If men had more leisure time the Marines would draw bigger crowds, as would all teams.
Re: Attendance at Chiba Marine?
[ Author: mijow | Posted: Jun 19, 2006 12:18 AM
| HT Fan
]
Insightful as always, Gary.
I agree with everything except (5). Maybe I'm looking at this through a Hanshin/Koshien prism, but I always thought yakyu games attracted a fair cross section of Japanese society. At least that always seems to be the case at Koshien. Whole families (including the grandparents), OLs, salarymen, obasan - they're all there. Maybe the unique factors you mentioned which apply to the Marines don't apply to some of the other teams.
I agree with everything except (5). Maybe I'm looking at this through a Hanshin/Koshien prism, but I always thought yakyu games attracted a fair cross section of Japanese society. At least that always seems to be the case at Koshien. Whole families (including the grandparents), OLs, salarymen, obasan - they're all there. Maybe the unique factors you mentioned which apply to the Marines don't apply to some of the other teams.
Re: Attendance at Chiba Marine?
[ Author: Christopher | Posted: Jun 19, 2006 8:42 AM
| HAN Fan
]
A lot of interesting points, but I think you under-estimate the number of female fans in Japanese baseball. If there is one thing that they seem to do well nowadays (and this isn't saying much), Japanese ballclubs are good at attracting females.
However, nowadays females work or have to look after children while the men are at work, so they often cannot make matches either. The Tigers are the only ones who can regularly come close to filling their ground every night and maybe other teams should take a close look at their marketing model. Seibu and Lotte though do need to move their grounds.
However, nowadays females work or have to look after children while the men are at work, so they often cannot make matches either. The Tigers are the only ones who can regularly come close to filling their ground every night and maybe other teams should take a close look at their marketing model. Seibu and Lotte though do need to move their grounds.
Re: Attendance at Chiba Marine?
[ Author: Yakulto | Posted: Jun 19, 2006 5:40 PM
| TYS Fan
]
- A lot of interesting points, but I think you under-estimate the number of female fans in Japanese baseball.
What you say is true, there is a good cross section of males, females, and families who attend baseball games in Japan.
BUT, I would say that Chiba Lotte's hardcore support is a little different, very male oriented I would say. Listening to their travelling support at Jingu during this last weekend's series with Yakult, they sound totally different from most sets of supporters (and this is more than just their unique cheering style). Much more lower pitched voices - there were LOTS of men in the left field stands.
I think Chiba is definately a "man's" team.
What you say is true, there is a good cross section of males, females, and families who attend baseball games in Japan.
BUT, I would say that Chiba Lotte's hardcore support is a little different, very male oriented I would say. Listening to their travelling support at Jingu during this last weekend's series with Yakult, they sound totally different from most sets of supporters (and this is more than just their unique cheering style). Much more lower pitched voices - there were LOTS of men in the left field stands.
I think Chiba is definately a "man's" team.
Re: Attendance at Chiba Marine?
[ Author: Guest: JOE KALESNIK | Posted: Jun 21, 2006 9:37 AM
]
No big stars? An American manager who won the Japan Series! This alone should bring the fans out. Team work.
The team concept, the Japanese quality work effort that was mentioned in the "Search of Excellence" book that so many American companies adapted. These players are heros. Like the Detroit Tigers.
By the way, you mention the Elmira Pionners. Brings back memories of my days in Eastern League AA.
The team concept, the Japanese quality work effort that was mentioned in the "Search of Excellence" book that so many American companies adapted. These players are heros. Like the Detroit Tigers.
By the way, you mention the Elmira Pionners. Brings back memories of my days in Eastern League AA.
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I know they are a costal city, so besides the Giants, who are the leaders and losers in attendance? What does it take for a team to break even in attendance? Who are the weak markets?