Legendary baseball stadium "Kusanagi Stadium"@Suruga Ward, Shizuoka

Kusanagi Stadium

Introducing "Kusanagi Stadium", known as the legendary ballpark!

Kusanagi Stadium opened in 1930.

It is the baseball stadium where pitcher "Eiji Sawamura" pitched a great game for the U.S. All-Star team in the 1934 Japan-U.S. Baseball Tournament, allowing only one run on a home run by Lou Gehrig.

Even today, high school, college, and professional baseball games are still held there.

This article introduces detailed information about Kusanagi Stadium.

Let's take a look at the details of Kusanagi Stadium!

Outline：Legendary baseball stadium "Kusanagi Stadium(静岡草薙球場)"

Front of Stadium

"Kusanagi Stadium(静岡草薙球場)" is a historic baseball stadium located in the center of Shizuoka City.

Opened in 1930, the stadium has a history of almost 100 years.

The reason Kusanagi Stadium is called sacred ground or legendary is related to "Eiji Sawamura(沢村栄治)", a pitcher who played an active role in the early days of baseball in Japan.

Pitcher Sawamura was very successful in the 1934 Japan-America Baseball Tournament. Big names from the U.S. such as "Babe Ruth", "Lou Gehrig", and "Jimmy Foxx" came to Japan to play at Kusanagi Stadium.

The All-Japan team lost all 16 games, but the game Sawamura pitched at Kusanagi Stadium was a close 0-1 game.

Most of the other games were scored in double figures.

Sawamura's overwhelming impact on the Japanese team has become legendary.

Sawamura died in World War II during his prime as a player.

This is another reason why Sawamura is considered a legend.

As a reminder that he played against Babe Ruth, a statue of the two has been erected in front of the ballpark.

Sawamura & Babe Ruth

Sawamura & Babe Ruth

In Sawamura's honor, the "Sawamura Award(沢村賞)", the highest honor for a starting pitcher, was established. It is an image of the Cy Young Award in Major League Baseball.

Kusanagi Stadium is still used for high school and college baseball games, as well as amateur and professional baseball games.

College baseball games

The summer high school baseball qualifying rounds are exciting during the daytime.

Night games of professional baseball held several times a year are also exciting and different from those of high school baseball.

Buying beer and snacks from a food stand and watching the game is one of the best parts of watching a baseball game.

Food Stand

Major renovations were made in 2013, making it easier to watch the games from the stands.

Summary：Legendary baseball stadium "Kusanagi Stadium"@Suruga Ward, Shizuoka

How was that?

This article introduced Kusanagi Stadium.

It is known to Japanese baseball fans as a legendary ballpark.

If you like baseball, you should visit this stadium at least once.

If the timing is right, you can watch a baseball game at the stadium!

Good Luck!