Tonight I went to the gold medal match for baseball, which will be the last baseball game played at the Olympics, at least for a while. Baseball and softball are out as of 2012, but they are lobbying to get back in for 2016 and beyond.
It couldn't have been more clear how different the effort is for baseball than for the big events like swimming, track and gymnastics on the majestic Olympic Green. The baseball stadium is way out on the other side of town near my hotel, and stadium is a generous term. The entire thing is temporary. All the bleachers, the grass, the grandstand, everything. It's been built on a big concrete open square by some government building. Somewhat fitting I suppose for a sport not in the graces of the Olympic establishment.
The US had a chance to play in the gold medal game but lost yesterday, so I got to see Cuba vs. Korea. Quite perplexing when they got to the line "root for the home team" during the 7th inning stretch while you're watching Korea and Cuba play baseball in China. Heck of a game though. Korea won, but nearly blew it in the 9th inning after leading the whole way.
And while there may not have been a home team, there were lots of Koreans who had all sorts of chants to cheer their team on all night long. One Korean baseball tradition I don't care for? The man who opened up a bag of dried anchovies behind me during the hot muggy night. Isn't there supposed to be something about Crackerjacks? I thought I heard that in the song. Oh well.
It all had a quaintness to it on an entirely different scale than my track and field experience last night.
It's too bad it won't be continuing.
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