Every year, the Hanshin Tigers are put out of their main stadium, iconic Hanshin Koshien Stadium outside Osaka, so that high school teams from across the country can put the ballpark to the use for which it was originally intended.
The story goes that when the Tigers hit the road, their pennant hopes die, hence the name, “the Road Trip of Death.”
This raises three questions:
- What is it?
- How bad is it?
- Why is it?
What is it?
Currently, the road trip of death typically starts on the first weekend of August, but the time between the Tigers’ final home game at Koshien and their return has varied over the years. In 1954 and 1955, it started in early July. In 1955, the Tigers were away from Koshien from July 11 to Oct. 9. Usually it’s about three weeks.
During that time, the Tigers will typically play one series of home games at another ballpark, and four series on the road.
Continue reading A Guide to the Road Trip of Death
