Beisuboru

Home again after the 10 week deployment. Truncated re-entry in progress. As I take some time to regroup and adjust to a new writing environment, here's a look back at Japanese baseball as the Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks took on the Chiba Lotte Marines at the Yahoo Dome in Fukuoka, Japan:

The game is the same as the U.S. variety, 

but the level of Japanese participation and enthusiasm makes U.S. games almost soporific by comparison. Organized bleacher cheering sections motivate each successive hitter as he comes to the plate. The 7th inning stretch features cheerleaders, mascots, and the release of thousands of balloons all over the dome.

They've figured out the best way to market and sell  beer. Each brand has its own vendor.

But in the end, just as in America, the team that scores the most runs wins: