Baseball Has Long Been Known

BASEBALL HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN as America’s pastime. But in 2000, the National League took the sport to the other side of the sea.

The Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets agreed to open the season at Japan’s Tokyo Dome, even though United States television viewers would need to tune in before dawn to watch. A full house of 55,000 turned out to witness the first regular season baseball game played outside of North America.

Cultural variations provided the only major differences between this game and an American contest. Fans ate sushi with chopsticks and munched on broiled eel and rice balls—rather than chomping on hot dogs and pretzels. Instead of the president of the United States watching from a box seat, Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako sat in the Royal Box.

The Cubs opened with a run in the first on Damon Buford’s RBI-single. New York’s Darryl Hamilton matched it in the third with a sacrifice fly. Chicago took the lead in the fifth after a single and three straight walks to Sammy Sosa, Henry Rodriguez, and Shane Andrews.

Andrews homered off Dennis Cook in the seventh, putting the Cubs up 4–1, and Mark Grace parked another in the eighth. Mets catcher Mike Piazza connected on a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, but Chicago held on to win 5–3.

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POINT How exciting to play a familiar game in a faraway place. How fun to watch players from across the ocean. The experience proved rewarding for both the American teams and the Japanese fans. The cultures discovered common ground.

God made every person, every nation, every culture. He accepts all people into his family who believe in him. And he guides us as we relate to each other wherever and whenever we meet.

GOAL! Taste food from another culture—sushi or rice balls if you can. Try to use chopsticks. How do you think people from other nations feel about eating hot dogs and pretzels? Ask God to help you appreciate other cultures and to live your life as a witness for him to them.