how the heck did baseball get popular in japan, korea and taiwan?

[BlahBlahYouToo]

how did this happen?
i mean, i know it's big in south/central American nations, but the far east? it's a big thing out there.

and why not europe/africa/india?

 

[deepred98]

neatherlands ftw

 

[hiromizu]

they like baseball. televised high school baseball is the shit.

 

[sdifox]

America troop stationed in these places for a while...

India got cricket from England.

I remember staying up really late (like 3am) to watch live broadcast of Taiwanese little league playing in California. I think only on Friday or Saturday night though.

 

[mugs]

I'm guessing American influence vs British influence...

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: sdifox
America troop stationed in these places for a while...

India got cricket from England.

Yeah, this was my guess too. Netherlands, Japan, Korea, WW2?

 

[silverpig]

US troops.

 

[ivan2]

because of H2?

 

[PepePeru]

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: sdifox
America troop stationed in these places for a while...

India got cricket from England.

Yeah, this was my guess too. Netherlands, Japan, Korea, WW2?

I heard on the radio baseball became popular in the Netherlands during WWII as a way of subverting the German rule of the Netherlands.

 

[Fingolfin269]

BALCO

 

[scttgrd]

Because it cost money to get involved in those sports. The reason soccer is popular in the rest of the world is because all you need is a round object and a field. Baseball, football and basketball requires an investment by the players. If you can't afford the equipment when you are young you don't play when older.

 

[LS21]

the east goes apeshit over anything american. europeans dont like baseball cuz they know its LAME

 

[acheron]

Originally posted by: LS21
the east goes apeshit over anything american. europeans dont like baseball cuz they are LAME

fixed

 

[Crono]

Spheres of influence. US occupation brings a lot of our culture there. We're starting to get some of their culture here, but to a lesser degree.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: acheron

Originally posted by: LS21
the east goes apeshit over anything american. europeans dont like baseball cuz they are LAME

fixed

Agreed.

Also, maybe asians are good at baseball than other sports. You don't exactly need to be 6-5 300 lbs to be a baseball player. Baseball is a precision sport, and asians are precise people...

 

[Passions]

Originally posted by: scttgrd
Because it cost money to get involved in those sports. The reason soccer is popular in the rest of the world is because all you need is a round object and a field. Baseball, football and basketball requires an investment by the players. If you can't afford the equipment when you are young you don't play when older.

Last time I checked, baseball involves a wood bat and a round ball. Basketball involves a makeshift rim and a round ball. These sports are played around the world by poor people quite easily. Your reasoning is deficient.

 

[PepePeru]

Originally posted by: Passions

Originally posted by: scttgrd
Because it cost money to get involved in those sports. The reason soccer is popular in the rest of the world is because all you need is a round object and a field. Baseball, football and basketball requires an investment by the players. If you can't afford the equipment when you are young you don't play when older.

Last time I checked, baseball involves a wood bat and a round ball. Basketball involves a makeshift rim and a round ball. These sports are played around the world by poor people quite easily. Your reasoning is deficient.

last time i checked, the Dominican Republic / Cuba aren't the wealthiest countries around...yet are crazy about baseball.

 

[jonks]

Cuz Asians are smart. They looked at America and said Holy Shit, you guys kicked the crap out of us, so we're going to emulate you, your culture, your manufacturing, then we're going to improve everything and kick the crap out of you in all those areas!

Most of the rest of the world is just jealous they suck and instead of emulating and improving they criticize and attempt mass-murder. The japanese swallowed their pride and picked the right course for their future. The ME not so much. Once alternative energy explodes and oil revenue plummets to zip that region will return to 1001 arabian nights while the rest of the world marches on. But they do get 4 wives so I guess that's something.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: Passions

Originally posted by: scttgrd
Because it cost money to get involved in those sports. The reason soccer is popular in the rest of the world is because all you need is a round object and a field. Baseball, football and basketball requires an investment by the players. If you can't afford the equipment when you are young you don't play when older.

Last time I checked, baseball involves a wood bat and a round ball. Basketball involves a makeshift rim and a round ball. These sports are played around the world by poor people quite easily. Your reasoning is deficient.

Yep. "Poor" versions of all the major sports exist. Stickball is dirt cheap. So is ghetto b-ball. You don't need anything for football except the ball itself, really (though obviously it helps to protect yourself in tackle football).

Professional sports, including soccer, aren't cheap.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: silverpig
US troops.

True for Korea and Taiwan, but not Japan. Baseball has a LOOOOONG history in Japan, going back to the 1800's! There's been a major leagues in Japan since before WWII.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: silverpig
US troops.

True for Korea and Taiwan, but not Japan. Baseball has a LOOOOONG history in Japan, going back to the 1800's! There's been a major leagues in Japan since before WWII.

Correct.

According to Wikipedia:
Hiroshi Hiraoka, who was in United States studying engineering, introduced the game to his co-workers at Japan?s national railways in 1878. He and his co-workers created the first baseball team, the Shimbashi Athletic Club, and dominated other teams which popped up in Japan. However it wasn?t until the team from Tokyo University started playing that the sport took hold in Japanese culture. In 1896 the team defeated an American team from the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club 29 to 4. It was the first recorded international baseball game in Asia. After that victory, several other universities in Japan adopted the sport and it quickly spread throughout Japan. Since then teams from Japan have travelled to learn from their American counterparts.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: silverpig
US troops.

True for Korea and Taiwan, but not Japan. Baseball has a LOOOOONG history in Japan, going back to the 1800's! There's been a major leagues in Japan since before WWII.

Interesting, I was under the impression the US presence did it but apparently it was imported by a returning Japanese visa student.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: savoyboy

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: acheron

Originally posted by: LS21
the east goes apeshit over anything american. europeans dont like baseball cuz they are LAME

fixed

Agreed.

Also, maybe asians are good at baseball than other sports. You don't exactly need to be 6-5 300 lbs to be a baseball player. Baseball is a precision sport, and asians are precise people...

how many good ball players in MLB are under 5'10" 180 lbs? I'm guessing maybe a handful.

how many sports out there require you to be 6'5" 300 lbs? maybe sumo wrestler or NFL offensive linemen

180 looks like the median weight of a baseball player, and i think the avg height is 6 feet.

Suzuki? dice-k? Cy young winner Lincecum, the list goes on forever.

 

[oogabooga]

Originally posted by: Crono

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: silverpig
US troops.

True for Korea and Taiwan, but not Japan. Baseball has a LOOOOONG history in Japan, going back to the 1800's! There's been a major leagues in Japan since before WWII.

Correct.

According to Wikipedia:
Hiroshi Hiraoka, who was in United States studying engineering, introduced the game to his co-workers at Japan?s national railways in 1878. He and his co-workers created the first baseball team, the Shimbashi Athletic Club, and dominated other teams which popped up in Japan. However it wasn?t until the team from Tokyo University started playing that the sport took hold in Japanese culture. In 1896 the team defeated an American team from the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club 29 to 4. It was the first recorded international baseball game in Asia. After that victory, several other universities in Japan adopted the sport and it quickly spread throughout Japan. Since then teams from Japan have travelled to learn from their American counterparts.

Interesting, I didn't know that it was that big that early on in Japan.

 

[acheron]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: savoyboy

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: acheron

Originally posted by: LS21
the east goes apeshit over anything american. europeans dont like baseball cuz they are LAME

fixed

Agreed.

Also, maybe asians are good at baseball than other sports. You don't exactly need to be 6-5 300 lbs to be a baseball player. Baseball is a precision sport, and asians are precise people...

how many good ball players in MLB are under 5'10" 180 lbs? I'm guessing maybe a handful.

how many sports out there require you to be 6'5" 300 lbs? maybe sumo wrestler or NFL offensive linemen

180 looks like the median weight of a baseball player, and i think the avg height is 6 feet.

Suzuki? dice-k? Cy young winner Lincecum, the list goes on forever.

Dustin Pedroia, Rookie of the Year two years ago and MVP last year has to be like 5'6". He's apparently listed at 5'9"/180, but that's being generous.

 

[Pegun]

Originally posted by: Crono
Spheres of influence. US occupation brings a lot of our culture there. We're starting to get some of their culture here, but to a lesser degree.

Why do the Asian countries have people who try to be as "American" as possible? Listening to the same music, dress styles, etc? Its all about influence. On the contrast, countries like England, France and most African nations are proud to have their own identities and not follow the American influence.