World Baseball Cup Live and Lived

Although I write fluently and with a flow, penning sentences and paragraphs in emails (I love to read and send emails) and virtual word documents, and in hardbound journals, I always find myself freezing in fear before writing a blog entry that usually ends up as a draft that needs to undergo inspection rigorous as airport security for grammar mistakes and rotten sentences that do not belong at all. Do bloggers actually take the time to examine each verb tense and clause to make sure they’re grammar-error-free?

I recently in the month of March gone through this artist’s nirvana. I was focused on working on my graphic skills, but my love for writing was revived and can be seen apparently by the very fact I’m updating this blog! Anyways, about a fabulous event that happened recently.

I had the privilege the past Monday as a Korean-American in Southern California to attend the World Baseball Cup Finals with Korea vs. Japan.

It was held at Dodger’s Stadium and only a fifty minute drive from my house (add a little more to include traffic). My dad got two tickets for us, $50 each. It was not the last section, but second to last. Even though it was high, it was perfect to see all the action and I had a pair of binoculars with me. It pays to wear cargo pants to stuff all my items in though it brought the attention of an attendant at the front where they were checking bags and pockets for suspicious items.

I would have to confess that this is the most exciting baseball game I ever watch until the next match involving team Korea. My dad and I were seated with a multitude of Koreans with blue inflatable clappers. Every seven minutes or so, someone would signal the cue by blowing a whistle in a rhythmic tune and we would chant “tae-han-mi-guk,” Republic of Korea. I also got to see them do a double-play and one of their players hit a home run. And to see Korea tie up with Japan at the bottom 9th inning…that was spectacular. But as people know it, Japan scored two runs and so the game ended 5-3 and Korea lost.

The Koreans, along with my dad and I were bummed out at the score and the sight of the team Japan group hugging after the Korean batter was struck out. If one is familiar with Korean history, he would know that Korea does not really like Japan because from 1910 to 1945, Japan annexed the “hermit kingdom” as its own. So there’s this hostile colonized-against-colonizer relationship going on. It was as if symbolically Japan proved that they were still in power.

Much as competitive and entertaining sports are, I don’t think they are the best way to showcase a country’s greatness. It’s rather depressing, and yes, very heretical for me to write this about sports and I know how you sport fans out there are crazy about defending your favorite sport teams. Please let me explain.

When it comes to using sports to prove a country’s greatness would boil down to two options: win or lose. Apparently one is really a good thing and the other is really bad.

If a country wins at a sports championship, that’s awesome (and yea, I really wish team Korean won the WBC). It fortifies one’s pride for his country. It also gives it a good image and not to mention bragging rights…

If a country loses, then it just makes everybody associated with that country feel miserable and defeated and impotent.

Sure, it stings that team Korea lost, but I’m still proud of my identity as a Korean. I’m proud how the team managed to keep up in the game and actually made it to the finals! Geez, are we too spoiled and think that gold medal is only way to go than a silver or a bronze or even a blue ribbon for participation?

I think the best way for Korea to showcase its uniqueness is to export its culture such as books and movies to other countries, translated and subtitled of course. A foreigner’s understanding and appreciation about another culture is far greater than rubbing in the arrogant fact that it won a certain game that everybody except sport enthusiasts forget.

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Posted in Thoughts