I am not an MLB expert. As I grew up watching Japanese baseball, I am a Hanshin Tigers fan.
When I hear Dodgers fans talk about loyalty and heartbreak, I feel something similar. In Japan, there is a team whose fans do not just watch games. They live with the team. That team is the Hanshin Tigers.
【2025 NPB Central League Champion】
Hanshin Tigers fans are very loyal. The team has a long history. There were good years. There were many hard years too.
Even when the team did not win, fans kept coming to the stadium. For many people, being a Hanshin fan starts in childhood. Parents talk about the team. Children listen. It slowly becomes part of life.
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At Hanshin games, fans do not sit quietly. They stand, sing, and clap.
Each player has a cheer song. When the player comes to bat, everyone sings the same song. I think this is important. Fans feel they are part of the game, not just watching it. Sometimes, people lose their voice before the game ends.
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Hanshin fans care about winning. Of course they do. But that is not everything.
There were many years without championships. Those years were painful. Because of that time, fans became patient. When the team loses, it hurts. When the team wins, it feels very close to the heart.
For many fans, Hanshin is not a hobby. It is just part of life.
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Hanshin Tigers play at Koshien Stadium. Koshien is special in Japan. Many high school players dream of playing there. Professional players respect it.
The stadium is old. It has many memories. I feel that those memories stay in the field. To understand Hanshin fans, you need to know Koshien.
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If you understand why Dodgers fans care about their team, you may understand Hanshin fans too. The style is different. The sound is louder. The feeling is strong.
Hanshin Tigers fans do not just support the team. They grow with it. That is how it feels to me.
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