'KBO is not the only one in trouble' As the pitcher turns pale, the line of voluntary steel plates gets hot and'Emergency'
Aug 07, 2024
|
Japanese sports media have been dealing with stories of athletes complaining of poor condition due to the recent heat wave. Clubs that use closed or retractable dome stadiums as their home, such as Tokyo Dome (Yomiuri Giants), Sconfield (Nihonham Fighters), Kyocera Dome (Orix Buffaloes), Mizuho Paypay Dome (Softbank Hawks) and Bantherin Dome (Chunichi Dragons), are better off.
However, not a small number of clubs are still using fully open outdoor stadiums. The heat is a problem when playing in this outdoor stadium.
Recently, the KBO League also has a lot of concerns due to the heat wave. The game between the LG Twins and the Lotte Giants, which was scheduled to be held at Ulsan Stadium last week, was declared for the first time in its 43-year history as the geothermal heat caused by artificial turf was so serious. A total of three games were canceled on the weekend alone, putting the heat response method on alert.
The Japanese professional baseball league is no other than that. Due to the nature of the archipelago, the humidity is originally high in Japan. In midsummer, when the maximum temperature approaches 35 degrees Celsius, the discomfort index increases even higher.
At Maebashi Stadium, where NPB games are held irregularly on July 3, Chunichi pitcher Hideaki Wakui came down from the mound after complaining of heat stroke as his face turned pale during pitching in the fifth inning, and Lotte pitcher Kazuya Ojima was suddenly out of form during pitching in the match between the Seibu Lions and the Chiba Lotte Marines at Veruna Dome on July 5.
Veruna Dome, Seibu's home stadium, is a dome stadium by name, but it is a steamer stadium without cooling facilities because it has a pillar in the existing outdoor stadium and only covers the roof.
In addition, in the game held at Meiji Jingu Stadium on July 19, foreign pitcher Andre Jackson of the Yokohama DeNA Baystars slumped on the mound complaining of dizziness while pitching, and even got a chance to be replaced. Even though it was all evening games, more and more players are complaining of heat stroke symptoms. In particular, Meiji Jingu Stadium, Yakult Swallows' home stadium, is considered the most hot stadium in midsummer because of the heat island phenomenon in the middle of Tokyo.
NPB is also struggling to come up with countermeasures. Some clubs have established heat index (WBGT) standards, so they do not practice outdoors at outdoor stadiums, but are paying attention to pre-game conditions. It is also devising measures to distribute products made of ice to spectators visiting the ballpark in midsummer. In addition, the summer Koshien, the top competition in high school baseball, has also decided to introduce a two-day morning and evening system due to the heat.
Nevertheless, the need to expand the dome stadium and control the game time continues to emerge. The KBO League also needs a clearer solution.
youll@sportschosun.com
