I’d originally been thinking about going to the football as FC Seoul were playing Japanese club Kashima Antlers in the Champions League. I’d been at their last game against Japanese opposition and the away end had been pretty lively with plenty of singing and a couple of dozen flares. My plan for this one had been to go in with the visitors and hope that the atmosphere would be similar. However, when I came out of work I just couldn’t be arsed dashing about and riding the subway during rush hour.
LG Twins were playing Doosan Bears though and that was a lot easier to get to. I could even watch the beginning of the game on the telly whilst I had my tea. Radhames Liz was the starting pitcher for LG and he rattled through the first load of Doosan batsmen in about five minutes. He looks the part and so he should, having started quite a few times in Major League Baseball in the US
Radhames Liz - LG Twins
The opening pitcher for the Bears, Kim Sun Woo started off ok too and by the time I left my apartment at about ten to seven the game was already well into the second innings.
Kim Sun Woo - Doosan Bears
It usually takes about three quarters of an hour to walk to the Jamsil stadium, depending on how long you get held up for when crossing the roads. There must have been a fair bit of traffic this time as it was quarter to eight before I arrived there. It was still quite busy outside even though the game was already seventy five minutes old.
Jamsil Stadium
Police were ticketing cars that were parked on the pavement, fried chicken sellers were trying to get rid of stock that must have been a couple of hours old at best and the touts were still looking to offload whatever seats they had left.
I was offered an 8,000 won seat in the main stand for 10,000 won. I knocked it back though as I didn’t want to have to walk around to the other side of the stadium and then look for that seat. I paid 7,000 won at the ticket office for a seat in the outfield and went straight in at the gate nearby.
It was packed inside, as you would expect when the two teams who share the stadium play each other and it was a struggle to find a seat. I wasn’t that bothered though and just found a spot where I could lean against the barrier at the top of the stand.
There's usually space for a picnic though.
In the time that it had taken me to walk from Yeoksam, the game had moved into the third innings and LG were leading 3-2. That wasn’t much of a surprise, they have been having a much better season than the Bears who haven’t been able to find anything like the form they had last season.
Jamsil Stadium outfield.
Doosan levelled it in the fourth before conceding another two runs to fall behind again by the end of that innings. Both pitchers were starting to look tired, having thrown about a hundred balls apiece. The Bears lad got the hook first, followed shortly afterwards by Radhames Liz.
It always looked like LG would go on to seal the victory though, they managed sixteen hits to Doosan’s five and in the sixth innings they added another couple of runs to move out of reach at 7-3. Strange, that sort of score doesn’t seem anything unusual. When it happened at the Asan Citizen against Seoul Martyrs game at the weekend it was quite another story.
LG Twins fans enjoying themselves.
I moved to an empty seat for the last half hour, as a lot of the Doosan Bears fans had seen enough. The game finished at ten and by quarter to eleven I was back in my apartment. Seoul had won the Champions League game that I’d decided not to bother with, but as there had been a pretty low attendance I think I probably made the right choice to give it a miss in favour of the baseball.
Trail of the Lion King 
June 4, 2011 at 2:11 pm |
Please keep your bad vibes away from the Bears and the Martyrs! I would have thought you would be more suited to Nexen!