For those not fortunate enough to be watching the Red Sox on the other side of the world, here's a quickie guide to baseball at Tokyo Dome:
Nicknamed "The Big Egg," home of the fabled Giants, the Dome opened on St. Patrick's Day in 1988. It's an unfortunate merger of the Minneapolis Metrodome and the Trop in St. Petersburg. In 20 short years, Tokyo Dome somehow has managed to become almost as dingy and depressing as Shea Stadium. It's got the puffy, air-supported roof of the Twins' home (difficult fo locate fly balls), the color scheme of the Rays' aquarium, and sprawling acres of foul territory that should remind the A's of their home field.
The Rolling Stones and Gun 'N' Roses played here. So did the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons. Now it's the Red Sox' turn.
This is Japan's Cooperstown. The Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame stands adjacent to Tokyo Dome, alongside a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster named "Thunder Dolphin." There's also a 43-story Tokyo Dome hotel, which, alas, has no field-view rooms like Toronto's SkyDome.
Tokyo fans were typically dazzled by David Ortiz's batting practice shots, but the Sox players were equally impressed at the sight of the Tigers taking batting practice, working out of two cages simultaneously.
There's been a lot of American music played wherever the Sox go this weekend, and the Dome's sound system did everything possible to make the Sox feel at home. In addition to the Neil Diamond ditty, they played "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" when Jonathan Papelbon appeared and closed with "Dirty Water," after Papelbon fanned Makoto Imaoka to end the game.
With the Sox and A's in town, all ballpark announcements are made in English and Japanese. The Dome's English-speaking PA man sounds like he might be from Cleveland, but he needed some help on a few names. He introduced your left fielder as Manny RAM-ir-ez and Boston's center fielder was Jay-coby Ellsbury.
The concession-stand sticker price on a Dice-K Red Sox jersey is 32,000 yen (about $300). A Red Sox cap goes for 5,775 yen (about $50). The much-traveled Commissioner's Trophy is on display in the concourse behind home plate.
