[Home Run Level] A Compilation of Trivia & Fun Facts About Baseball
In Japan, there’s never a shortage of baseball talk—whether it’s professional baseball, the Major Leagues, or the WBC! Every year, countless baseball fans can’t help but wonder which team will be crowned the best in Japan, who will win the home run title, and which player will pull off a miracle play.
In this article, we’ll introduce fun trivia and tidbits that will make you love baseball even more! We’ve gathered facts from various angles, including the history of baseball and the curiosities behind things you casually see while watching games.
Even if you don’t know much about baseball, you’ll find yourself thinking, “Oh, really? That’s cool!”—so be sure to check it out!
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[Home-Run Level] A Collection of Trivia & Fun Facts About Baseball (21–30)
The Chunichi Dragons got their name because the team’s owner in 1947 was born in the Year of the Dragon.
There are 12 teams in Japan’s professional baseball league, and each team’s name has its own origin.
The Chunichi Dragons are based in Aichi Prefecture, but the “Dragons” part of their name comes from an unexpected source.
It’s said that the then-owner, Toranosuke Sugiyama, was born in the Year of the Dragon, which led to the name Chunichi Dragons.
You might assume it comes from the shachihoko on Nagoya Castle in Aichi, but apparently that’s not the case.
There’s also a story that, based on Toranosuke Sugiyama’s first name, they wanted to use “Tigers,” but had to give up because the Osaka Tigers—today’s Hanshin Tigers—already existed.
In baseball, the official is called an “umpire,” not a “referee.”
In Japanese, any sports official is called a “shimpan” (referee), but in English there are “referees” and “umpires.” Referees are well known in sports like wrestling, and also in basketball, soccer, and rugby.
They are responsible for managing the game and move with the players as they officiate.
Umpires are used in sports like tennis, table tennis, and volleyball, where they stand in designated positions and make calls.
Some sports, like American football, have both.
In baseball, the officials are called umpires.
Baseball was brought to Japan from the United States during the Meiji era.
In Japan, people enjoy baseball in many forms, from professional leagues to school clubs and amateur games.
Baseball is loved by people of all ages, but do you know when it was first introduced to Japan? It is said to have begun in 1871 (Meiji 4) under the instruction of an American teacher at Kaisei School, which is the predecessor of today’s University of Tokyo.
At the time, it was called “baseball” in English, and the sport subsequently spread throughout Japan.
According to those who promoted the game, it was an extremely enjoyable sport and was played very actively.
In high school baseball, there used to be a loser’s bracket (repechage).
High school baseball, where student players battle it out with intense passion, is a beloved sport.
Many people look forward to the TV broadcasts of the games held at Koshien.
Since it’s a single-elimination tournament, countless dramatic moments unfold every year.
However, there was a time when a repechage (losers’ bracket) existed.
The repechage was used from the second tournament in 1915 (Taisho 4) through the third tournament in 1916 (Taisho 5).
It was only implemented for those two tournaments, and there was a reason for that.
In the third tournament, a school from Aichi that had lost once fought its way through the repechage and, incredibly, won the championship.
Complaints arose that “it’s strange for a team that lost to become the champion,” and the repechage system was abolished the following year.
As a result, only those two tournaments featured a repechage.
The first people to launch jet balloons were fans of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Cheering with jet balloons is fun both to see and hear, and it’s one of the highlights of watching baseball.
But when did it start? It’s said to have begun during a Hanshin vs.
Hiroshima game at Koshien Stadium in 1978, when Hiroshima fans first released them.
Apparently, Hanshin fans who saw this then helped spread the practice.
However, jet balloons are prohibited at some stadiums depending on conditions inside the venue.
They were also banned during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent infections.