A large bracket for the 83rd Intercity Baseball Tournament (July 13–24 at Tokyo Dome) was posted on the wall beside the main entrance open space on the first floor of Palaceside Building.
Organized by The Mainichi Newspapers and others, last year's tournament was delayed to late October and moved to Kyocera Dome Osaka due to the earthquake and power situation. This year returns to Tokyo Dome's "midsummer baseball festival," with 32 teams competing for the black lion flag.
No debut teams last year; this year Nagoya's four-year-old J Project appears — an izakaya chain team whose players practice by day and work evenings. Ace pitcher Shoji Ida grills yakitori in a Nagoya Station kitchen; captain Hiroki Kanbe serves customers in Sakae. Can they upset national powerhouses without beer or highballs?
Will last year's champion JR East Tokyo repeat after half a century? Will NTT East Tokyo, led by three-time winner Tazuru Kakino, take the title? Will Yokohama powerhouse JX-ENEOS win a record 10th time? What of 54-time participant Nippon Life Osaka? Veteran 40-year-old Yasuyuki Saigo of Honda, Sayama, needs one more homer to tie the career record of 14. Which players will catch pro scouts' eyes? Interest never runs dry.
Cheering battles by cheer squads in the stands are also worth watching. During the tournament, head to Tokyo Dome to support your team and watch heated play.