The first champions The Hanshin Tigers baseball club was founded on December 10, 1935. They took part in the first professional baseball "season" in Japan the following year, which consisted of three spring tournaments played at Koshien Kyujo (ballpark), Narumi Kyujo in Nagoya and Hiratsuka near Osaka. The Tigers won the 1936 spring league, making them Japan's first pro champions The successful 1938 team Rivalry From 1936 to 1938, the Tigers were the best team in Japanese pro baseball. However, from 1939 the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Giants began to dominate, beginning the bitter rivalry between the two teams which continues today. In Central League pennant races the Tigers have come second to the Giants on 13 occasions, including 6 times in the 1950s alone! No wonder Hanshin fans hate the Giants with a passion! Gene Bacque In the '60s, Hanshin won two CL pennants ('62 and '64), and the decade was also memorable for the efforts of pitcher Gene Bacque, who compiled a 100-80 record with a 2.83 ERA in eight years with the Tigers - winning Japan's equivalent of the Cy Young Award - the Sawamura Award - in 1964. He is the only foreign pitcher ever to be honored in this way. 1985 and Randy Bass The Tigers were extremely successful in the early years, winning championships in 1936-38, 1944 and 1947, and compiling a 730-472 franchise record by 1950 (when the two-league system was introduced). But they have won the Central League pennant only four times - in 1962, 1964, 1985, and 2003. The year 1985 is still fondly remembered by all Hanshin fans. Not only did the club win the Japan Series for the first time, but their first baseman Randy Bass won the Triple Crown award AND the Japan Series MVP award as well - in the process elevating himself to God-like status in the Kansai region. He probably would have set a new home run record, too, except for the skullduggery of the Giants. In the very last game of the 1985 regular season, the Giants gave Randy Bass four free passes - you see, he was one homer away from matching the legendary Giants slugger Sadaharu Oh's single season home run record. And who was the Giants' manager that day? None other than Mr. Oh himself! Celebrating the 1985 championship Wild scenes at Dotonbori When the Hanshin Tigers won the Japan Series in 1985, the fans went delirious. Among other things, they hijacked a train in Tokyo, and at Dotonbori, one of the entertainment districts in Osaka, people were jumping into the polluted river. The story goes that as the crowd yelled their way through the Hanshin roster, someone who looked like each of the players jumped into the river. Can you spot the difference? Apparently nobody looked like Randy Bass, so some bright spark thought the life-sized statue of Colonel Sanders outside the local KFC would do. Well, he had a beard, he wasn't Japanese... Anyway, you can guess the rest - Colonel Sanders found himself at the bottom of the river. The colonel's curse The whereabouts of the Colonel remain a mystery to this day. They've even had divers down in the murky depths trying to find him, but to no avail. It is said that the Hanshin Tigers will never win again until he is found. The Tigers finally won the CL pennant again in 2003 after 18 very lean years, leading to a repeat of the crazy celebrations of the mid '80s. But they lost the ultimate prize to the Daiei Hawks in 7 games. And the Hawks were managed by... you guessed it - Sadaharu Oh! The curse continues. The KFC near Koshien stadium The author having an audience with God

Historic Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya is the oldest and most famous ballpark in Japan and the home of the Hanshin Tigers. It was built in 1924 and has been the scene of many great baseball feats over the years. Plaque at Koshien honoring Babe Ruth Babe Ruth even played there once - in 1934, when a visiting major league team came to Japan to play a series of exhibition games. Koshien is the scene of the spring and summer high school baseball tournaments (simply known as "Koshien"), which are televised live throughout Japan and which attract a huge audience. To play at Koshien is the dream of all young Japanese baseball players! Even though it has the best maintained outfield in Japan (yes, real grass!), the "sacred" Koshien dirt sometimes provides nightmares for the infielders. And the stadium itself is showing its age and really needs a facelift. The seats and aisles are extremely narrow, there are no private boxes, and the amenities are pretty basic. There have been proposals to upgrade the place, including even adding a dome (which of course would be universally hated). Even so, it's still worth going out there to cheer the local team (which usually needs all the support it can get) and to soak up the atmosphere of the place. From Osaka, simply get on a Kobe-bound Hanshin Railway train to Koshien station. The journey takes about 15 minutes. The ballpark is a short 3 minute walk from the station - just follow the crowd. Ticket prices range from 1400 to 3500 yen (a little more when the Giants are in town), with kids' tickets starting from 500 yen. You can buy tickets at the ground or at one of the many general ticket outlets in Kansai. But if the Tigers are playing well, you'll have to book well ahead! The famous outfield bleachers KOSHIEN STADIUM Tel: (0798) 47-1041 Capacity: 55,000 Dimensions: Center: 122 meters (403 feet) Lines: 96 meters (317 feet) Ticket information Infield reserved, S: 3500 yen; A: 3000 yen; B: 2500 yen General admission, adult: 2200 yen; child: 1100 yen Outfield reserved: 1700 yen Outfield seat, adult: 1400 yen; child: 500 yen Location Koshien Station, Hanshin Dentetsu: 3 minute walk

Lucky (left) and To-Lucky The Hanshin Tigers mascots are "To-Lucky" (or "Trackey" or "Torakki") and "Lucky". They come to every home game and help cheer the team on with their enthusiastic antics. Trackey always entertains the crowd with unbelievable acrobatic feats, including backflips and a Spiderman act where he launches himself at the wire fence and tries to hang on - and gets chided by Lucky for showing off. Of course they're the best mascots in Japan (much better than those silly Yomiuri Giants creatures - whatever they're supposed to be - big orange cockroaches, perhaps?). To-Lucky and Lucky are featured in the scoreboard graphics at Koshien Stadium. Produced by Magnetic Dreams.

Rokko Oroshi (The Wind of Mount Rokko) is a popular song in Kansai. In fact, some school children learn to sing Rokko Oroshi even before they learn Japan's national anthem! The Tigers' fight song can be sung at karaoke bars and at company gatherings, but the best time to sing it is at Koshien after the Tigers have beaten the Giants! Rokko Oroshi Rokko oroshi ni sasso to Soten kakeru nichirin no Seishun no haki uruwashiku Kagayaku wagana zo Hanshin Taigasu O-o-o-o Hanshin Taigasu Fure-fure-fure-fure Toshi hatsuratsu tatsu ya ima Nekketsu sude ni teki o tsuku Ju-o no iki takaraka ni Muteki no warera zo Hanshin Taigasu O-o-o-o Hanshin Taigasu Fure-fure-fure-fure The Wind of Mount Rokko (The official English version, but not a direct translation.) Dashing swiftly through the wind blowin' from Rokko Like the big sun soaring in the clear blue sky Mighty spirit of the youth shows the victor's grace The name that shines in glory "Hanshin Tigers" Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hanshin Tigers Hooray, Hooray, Hooray, Hooray! Powerful hits and skillful pitch achieved a thousand times Trained with every discipline here at Koshien Crowned with constant victory glorious, matchless feat Always proud, invincible "Hanshin Tigers" Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hanshin Tigers Hooray, Hooray, Hooray, Hooray!