I have to admit, I'm not a fan of baseball. I'm not really a sports person. When I was younger, I used to love sports. I would watch basketball and football games with my dad. On Sundays after church, we used to eat fried chicken in front of our TV and watch the Bucs demolish the other team. Once I started high school, I fell out of love with sports. Although, when it comes to going to actual sports events, I really enjoy them. I've been to a few baseball games back home and I've always had a great time. I always enjoy the atmosphere of baseball games more than the game itself. In Korea, baseball games are just as fun, but for other reasons.
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| Lotte Giants Thundersticks! |
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| Drinking beer with straws. Keepin' it classy, Busan. |
The baseball games in Korea are pretty awesome and they have to be experienced to fully understand. Every team has their die hard fans and they are serious about their passion for their beloved team. Although, unlike other countries, they are very respectful towards others fans and teams. There aren't any kind of riots or fights. Every team has their own specific cheers. Every chance they get, the fans can be heard chanting and encouraging their team. It's really amazing listening to a full stadium sing the same thing. One thing we didn't get to see up close were the cheerleaders. The home team has a stage with a team of cheerleaders and seriously intense hype man. We could only see their tiny little bodies jumping around. Hopefully, we'll be able to see them up close one day.
Towards the end of the game, they pass around bright orange bags for trash. Somehow, it became a tradition to wear it on top of your head like a hat. It's a bit strange, but this is quintessential Korea. It was pretty awesome seeing an entire stadium full of people wearing orange trash bags on their heads and cheering for their team. It was a great experience and a sight that I will never forget. I don't think I will ever enjoy another baseball game as much as I enjoyed this one.