So last weekend Dan and Tan went to their first baseball game in Korea. It's hard to believe that we have been here for over 15 months and have never been to a game. Anyway, my favorite Korean team is the Doosan Bears. Unfortunately they were not playing that night and were on the road. Korea has a professional league comprised of eight teams. The LG Twins and Doosan Bears play in the same stadium in Seoul, so basically almost every night there is a game.
We decided to go because Fran will be living soon and he wanted to have the Korean baseball experience before he left. I also called up another friend to come along. The tickets we got were cheap at around $7 in the upper section near home plate. Because the stadium is not gigantic we were relatively close, equivalent to the Lodge section at Dodger Stadium.
Once we arrived there (a 30 minute bus ride, and a 5 min subway ride) we picked up some beer outside the stadium at the local convenience store and headed in. It's really amazing being able to bring alcohol in, from outside the stadium even though the beer was just as cheap inside. They also have these guys with a keg on there backs and go up and down the isles and dispense the beer right at your seat for you.
It was really nice being at the ballpark again man how I miss my Dodgers. Sigh. Anyway the game started and you would think it was a playoff atmosphere. The crowd was chanting vigorously. Almost everyone had those noise sticks in their team's color. The home team fans were along the first baseline and the away team fans had a section on the third base side. Every player that came up to bat had their own theme chant. Some went along with a song. This one guy's went along with the song Dancing Queen, it was sheer entertainment. They also had one male cheerleader that lead the chants and six female cheerleaders for entertainment.
They don't serve the traditional hot dog but they still had the fast food places to eat at. Since Tan and I already ate we did not have anything except for a drink. After a few batters we could not help but to start chanting along. The LG Twins fell behind on the scoreboard but the fans kept encouraging them, it was great. Even down 7 to 1 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and no one on they still had hope. It was really exciting. I wish games back home could be this energetic.
It was obvious why the LG twins were in last and the SK Wyverns were in first. Next time we go we are going to see the Bears play. I can't wait to learn their chants and waves. GO BEARS GO!!!
