Monday, August 04, 2008

Korean Baseball: Doosan Bears vs Lotte Giants



Talk about dedication! Sox Fans may have some competition... as far as cheerleading goes.

Here they are cheering on (Busan) Lotte Giants' player Kang Min Ho before, during, and after his RBI double.



Yes, each and every player gets his very own cheer! (My favorite was Garcia's song, which I unfortunately didn't catch on camera. If you're really interested, you can hear part of it here.)

The fans also have team songs... talk about good marketing! Name your team after your company and get people to sing it over and over and over. I provided some lyrics so you can sing along to the first part of the video. : )

Lotte Lotte Lotte Lotte
Lotte Lotte Lotte Lotte
Lotte Lotte Lotte Lotte



Annie and I checked out our first ever Korean baseball game at Jamsil Stadium last week. It was hot. It was muggy. It was sweaty. It was loud. It was fuuuuunnnn!



Tickets are pretty easy to come by right before the game. We purchased 일반 (general) seats for about $7 (the most expensive VIP tickets are around $25) which meant it was a free for all - first come, first seated.



In the stadium, food is pretty much limited to KFC, Burger King, and a few convenience store snacks. Although, there are tons of street vendors outside selling kimbap, and you can also bring in your own food. (No bag checks here.)



Alternatively, you can wait for the peanut boy ajumma to make her rounds.



Although I originally intended to cheer for the home team (the Doosan Bears), we ended up sitting near 3rd base, and came to realize it was the visiting team's section, who were even louder than the Doosan fans!

I saw more MLB caps (particularly Dodgers, Braves, Red Sox, and Yankees) than Korean baseball gear on fans, but after a few innings, the Lotte section started passing out orange plastic bags. Apparently, Lotte fans blow them up and tie them to their heads.



Regardless of whether you're a sports fan or not, a trip to the ballpark is certainly an interesting part of the Korean experience. : )

The Doosan Bears and LG Twins play at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. To get to Jamsil Stadium, take Line 2 to 종합운동장역, Exit 5. Olympic Stadium is also within view from the baseball stadium if you want a photo op. : )

3 comments:

Daniel Lee Gray said...

looks like you had a good weekend. Hey, I'm looking to get some blowfish on Wednesday or Thursday are you interested?

Cheri said...

If tmr or Friday works for you, that sounds like fun! As long as you promise I won't die. ;) I have to go to Incheon Airport on Thurs...

InMySeoul said...

That looks fun. I will definitely have to get to a game next time Im in Korea. I noticed the Ajumma was carrying my favorite snack I cant type it in English. But they are little sphere crackers with peanuts in the middle...They are addictive. So much so that I brought several bags worth with me to Africa...lol

As for the blowfish...just dont get it off the street...you should be fine...lol