Narumi Stadium Explained

Stadium Name:Narumi Stadium
Location:Nagoya, Japan
Built:1927
Closed:1958
Tenants:Nagoya Kinsho Army (1936–1940)
Chunichi Dragons (1948–1954)
Seating Capacity:20,000 (1927)
40,000

Narumi Stadium (Japanese: 鳴海球場) was a baseball stadium in Nagoya, Japan. Narumi Stadium was one of the three stadiums which hosted the first professional season of Japanese baseball in 1936.[1]

The stadium primarily hosted the Nagoya Kinsho Army team, but the Chunichi Dragons also occasionally used the stadium between 1948 and 1954, especially in 1953, where the team was displaced after a fire at their other stadium. Before 1952, Japanese league teams typically did not have a designated stadium, instead playing in the general area in which they were based.[2]

History

The stadium opened in 1927.

A barnstorming team of American All-Stars, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx played against a Japanese all-star team in the stadium on November 23, 1934. Lefty Gomez led the Americans to a 6–2 victory.[3]

The first professional baseball game in Japan was played in the stadium on February 9, 1936.[4]

The stadium was closed in 1958. The field has been reused as a driving school, and portions of the first and third base stands still stand today.[4]

Dimensions

The stadium's dimensions have been alternatively listed as 302 feet to left and right field and 365 feet to center[2] or as 347 feet down the lines and 413 feet to center field.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jim Allen's Japanese Baseball Page. August 1, 2019.
  2. Web site: Past Japanese ballparks, domes and stadiums. Jim. Albright.
  3. Web site: 1934 Major League Tour, Japan. August 1, 2019.
  4. Web site: 最初のプロ野球 ~鳴海球場跡~. ja. August 1, 2019.
  5. Web site: Narumi Stadium. yakyujo.com.