Much of the excitement building toward the opening of the 2005 Japan pro baseball season centers around the new Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. The Pacific League expansion team will, weather permitting, play its inaugural game Saturday, March 26, against the Chiba Lotte Marines at Chiba Marine Stadium. Game time is 1 p.m.
Rakuten is also scheduled to play at Chiba on March 27, then travel to Fukuoka for a three-game series against the SoftBank Hawks March 28-30. The Eagles will then play their home opener (again, weather permitting) on Friday night, April 1, at Fullcast Miyagi Stadium in Sendai. The visitors will be the Seibu Lions, and game time is 6:10 p.m.
Expansion baseball reminds me of April 1962, when the New York Mets debuted in the National League. I was 13 years old, living in New Jersey and so looking forward to watching the Mets play their first-ever game on Tuesday, April 10. Manager Casey Stengel's club was to open against the Cardinals at the old Busch Stadium in St. Louis.