Watch What May Be The Strangest First Pitch in Japanese Baseball History

[HuckleB]

http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/06/06/watch-what-may-be-the-strangest-first-pitch-in-japanese-baseball-history/

"Japan, like the United States, is one of the only countries where people actually enjoy baseball. But unlike U.S. teams, Japanese ones don’t mind giving the honor of the opening pitch to murderous demons.

Winding up as only the possessed can, the sullen corpselike girl from “The Ring,” dressed in a white nightgown, her face veiled by black hair, throws the opening pitch at the ghost of the murdered woman from “The Grudge,” another Japanese horror classic. After she cracks a ball into the outfield, a pinch runner — her pallid, meowing son — then does a lap around the bases, scoring the first run of the game. The few fans in the stands appear unfazed.

The two women, originally from different horror universes, will reunite in a new crossover film, “Sadako vs. Kayako,” set for a mid-June release.

Watch the opening pitch in all its bizarre wonder below:"

[brush]

1. What a bizarre ritual — entertaining though.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. I could not get over the cheerleaders in the girl school uniforms

I know that women dressing as school girls is a giant thing in Japan
but then a couple came out onto the field with huge animal heads on.

Wish I knew more about Japanese customs to appreciate what they were doing.

[HuckleB]

7. Indeed. I need a good sociology book re: Japan!

[Rex]

2. Okay you got me...now I want to watch Japanese baseball if this is the norm.

Usually I have to drink a lot of beer to stand sitting in the bleachers watching a baseball game.

[HuckleB]

4. I just asked my wife if we could start planning our next vacation!

Yes, to Japan, to see a few ballgames!

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

3. I was in Japan three weeks ago...

Got to go to a Hanshin Tigers game. I'm not a baseball fan but I loved the atmosphere. The constant but polite cheering was awesome as was the release of balloons during the seventh inning stretch. I will remember it forever.

[HuckleB]

12. Awesome! Sounds fantastic!

[Prism]

5. We need to get Hentai Kamen to open the world series

That would just about make my decade.

[malthaussen]

8. Better her than Richard Nixon.

Pretty good pitch, especially considering her hair was in her face. Not a lot on it, but she got it over the plate.

-- Mal

[FSogol]

9. That's quite bizarre.

[GummyBearz]

10. I don't know why the hell I watched that whole thing, but...

...I give credit for the pitcher wearing astro turf appropriate cleats and good form on the pitch. The batter also had fairly good form. Well done ladies, and wtf am I doing wasting time typing all this??

[clarice]

11. Wasn't that a balk?nt