The Hanshin Tigers on Aug. 1 played the first of what will become a long string of games away from their home stadium, which is currently being used for the National High School Baseball Championship.

Hanshin takes this road trip every season, and has historically done extremely poorly during it.

Their troubles away from home were so pronounced in the '70s (perhaps to the benefit of a few of the V9 Giants teams) that the extended road trip became known as the shi no rodo, or road of death.