Transmitter Fans Enjoy Appreciation Week
August 29, 2013: Kawaguchi, Japan – The Kawaguchi Transmitters gave fans a special treat, and the fans returned the favor by turning out in droves. “We want the people who follow our team to know that they are the reason we’re here,” said spokes-model Misuki Yi as she addressed a gathering at a recent community outreach event. As such, this past week saw the team implement a special $5 ticket price, and enlist the services of Wonko the Magic Hippo to keep the kids entertained during the space between innings.
“It was a great success,” Yi said while flashing the electric smile that has gotten her on hundreds of billboards and downtown advertisements. She wore Kawaguchi yellow.
Ms. Yi explained that Transmitters attendance had been languishing down at something over 11,000 people for the previous week. The deal found that number rising to nearly 24,000. “The fans really helped the team,” she said. “The Transmitters won three of the four very close games.”
Close games, indeed.
The first game saw 24,062 people witness a 3-2 victory over Shin Seiki that came with a run scored in the team’s last at-bat when Soetsu Yoshino beat a throw home on a grounder to short by light-hitting shortstop Mitsuo Kan.
The second game saw resurgent third baseman Shojiro Sano pelt a pair of homers to beat Neo-Tokyo Akira 6-4. Gaijin hurler Orlando Valadez also threw seven solid innings in the game, giving Kawaguchi’s 22,733 fans more to cheer.
Then the team made it three in a row, beating the Akira again 7-6 with the benefit of homers by All-Star Félix Lima, Keitaro Ishii and newly acquired left fielder Yoshihide Suzuki. It was Ishii’s 4th homer in 130 AB, making the team ponder the likelihood that he might be a late-bloomer. 23,628 showed up to see the Transmitter hat trick.
Alas, the Akira turned the table by beating the Transmitters 7-6 on a 9th inning run of their own. But the key number here was 23,645 – the number of times the turnstiles clicked as fans came through the gate.
“It was fun to play in front of a good group of fans,” Sano said. “We know the team has struggled this year, but the stands were rocking pretty good and I think it made a difference to us on the field.”
Ms. Yi had no word as to whether the team would continue the promotion later next week when the team returns from their road trip to host Kure and Shin Seiki. “That will be a decision the front office will announce in the next few days,” she said amid smiles and the flashing of the paparazzi camera flares.
August 29, 2013: Kawaguchi, Japan – The Kawaguchi Transmitters gave fans a special treat, and the fans returned the favor by turning out in droves. “We want the people who follow our team to know that they are the reason we’re here,” said spokes-model Misuki Yi as she addressed a gathering at a recent community outreach event. As such, this past week saw the team implement a special $5 ticket price, and enlist the services of Wonko the Magic Hippo to keep the kids entertained during the space between innings.
“It was a great success,” Yi said while flashing the electric smile that has gotten her on hundreds of billboards and downtown advertisements. She wore Kawaguchi yellow.
Ms. Yi explained that Transmitters attendance had been languishing down at something over 11,000 people for the previous week. The deal found that number rising to nearly 24,000. “The fans really helped the team,” she said. “The Transmitters won three of the four very close games.”
Close games, indeed.
The first game saw 24,062 people witness a 3-2 victory over Shin Seiki that came with a run scored in the team’s last at-bat when Soetsu Yoshino beat a throw home on a grounder to short by light-hitting shortstop Mitsuo Kan.
The second game saw resurgent third baseman Shojiro Sano pelt a pair of homers to beat Neo-Tokyo Akira 6-4. Gaijin hurler Orlando Valadez also threw seven solid innings in the game, giving Kawaguchi’s 22,733 fans more to cheer.
Then the team made it three in a row, beating the Akira again 7-6 with the benefit of homers by All-Star Félix Lima, Keitaro Ishii and newly acquired left fielder Yoshihide Suzuki. It was Ishii’s 4th homer in 130 AB, making the team ponder the likelihood that he might be a late-bloomer. 23,628 showed up to see the Transmitter hat trick.
Alas, the Akira turned the table by beating the Transmitters 7-6 on a 9th inning run of their own. But the key number here was 23,645 – the number of times the turnstiles clicked as fans came through the gate.
“It was fun to play in front of a good group of fans,” Sano said. “We know the team has struggled this year, but the stands were rocking pretty good and I think it made a difference to us on the field.”
Ms. Yi had no word as to whether the team would continue the promotion later next week when the team returns from their road trip to host Kure and Shin Seiki. “That will be a decision the front office will announce in the next few days,” she said amid smiles and the flashing of the paparazzi camera flares.