The Hanshin Tigers are in a position to win their second Central League pennant in three seasons, but they will have to get by a jinx that has plagued Tigers teams in the past: the "shi-no-rodo" or "road trip of death."
This refers to the annual mid-summer vacating of Hanshin's home Koshien Stadium to make the ballpark available for Japan's national high school baseball tournament which lasts for more than two weeks, depending on days lost to rain.
The Tigers actually will not see Koshien for four weeks, counting the days prior to the high school tourney while the stadium is being readied for the student players and their supporters, and a few days past the scheduled end of the national championships, in case the kids need to make up some games.