Baseball is a very popular sport in Asia, North America, South America, and even Europe. While the rules of baseball are similar from country to country, the behavior of baseball fans is very different. Here’s a look at some of the differences in fan behavior around the world.
Baseball fans in Japan are loud—really loud. The sound of chants, cheering, drums, and trumpets continues nonstop throughout a baseball game in Japan. When a team goes to bat, their fans sing a different song for each batter at the plate. And even when their team is losing badly, Japanese fans continue to yell and scream. They don’t want their players to feel discouraged if they are not playing well. Foreign baseball players in Japan are often surprised that the fans never boo a player. According to the American pitcher Brian Warren, baseball is more fun in Japan. “When I used to play in Venezuela,” Warren said, “fans threw things at me when I didn’t pitch well.” This does not happen in Japan. Japanese fans would never disrespect players that way.
When a Japanese player hits a home run, the fans give the biggest cheer of all—a banzai cheer. That’s when the fans yell with both of their arms above their heads.
In Taiwan
Baseball fans in Taiwan are just as loud as their Japanese counterparts. In Taiwan, many fans use air horns to cheer their team on. These horns are so loud they can really hurt your ears. Taiwanese fans often yell “Charge!” to excite the baseball players. And when a player hits a home run, there is a special tradition. After the player runs around the bases, a young girl presents him with a stuffed animal that looks like his team’s mascot.