SK Wyverns Baseball Game

Even with skies threatening rain, we ventured out to the Munhak Sports Complex in Incheon to for a baseball game. The sports complex also had a huge soccer stadium and a brand new pool complex that is going to be used for the Asian Games. It was raining on our way there and back, so we didn't go see the pool, but it looked cool from the outside. 

The SK Wyverns have won the Korean league three times in the past 7 years, but this year they are struggling. They were playing the Dexen Heroes. Landon has been obsessed with a soccer shirt I got him on sale after the World Cup, so we decided he needed a baseball shirt to go with his collection, and to give him something else to obsess about. 

Before the game started

It rained off and on lightly until after the 4th inning, when it started pouring. It stopped for a bit, and then started again full force. We left at this point, because it was about an hour back on the train and Austin had to work the next morning. Even though attendance was low due to the weather and the dismal record of the team, the crowd was louder than any baseball game Austin or I have been to. That might have been because there were cheerleaders! There was a guy with a microphone and a whistle that led cheers and they had all sorts of cheers to different songs. There were also girl cheerleaders in little outfits. It seemed like they mostly danced around- not any stunts or anything else really athletic like some American cheerleaders. They had high wedge Sketchers on with their outfits, because all women wear heels, right?

See the cheerleaders and the cheering platform? Instead of poms they had those noisemaker sticks

The cheering didn't stop when people were batting. Sometimes it was hard to pay attention to the actual game because of all the cheers and craziness going on all around! I assumed that when the cheering stopped, it was time to pay attention, but then I realized that the pitcher was pitching and batters were batting through the chaos. Also, they made the most noise when their own batters were up to bat. Just interesting differences. Speaking of not paying attention, there were security guys along the sides where foul balls would fly, whose only job it was to blow a whistle and run in the direction of fly balls. I don't know if there have been some freak accidents to make this a job, but it was funny to see them running and whistling all over the place after the fly ball. If it went into a crowd and they couldn't tell what happened to it, they ran right up to the group to ensure everyone was safe. 

Go Wyverns!

Landon liked watching for approximately 1/4 of 1 inning. Then he wanted to explore and go up and down stairs and run around. He also liked wearing his new baseball shirt and picking out and wearing a hat that will be a gift for Grandpa Jim. Later, he got into the cheering with clapping and putting his arms up for CHARGE! I was banking on him falling asleep around his bedtime, but that little stinker stayed up all the way through the rain, leaving, the whole train ride, and it took him awhile to fall asleep once we got back to the hotel- 2 hours past his bedtime!

The backwards hat look

Austin and I had a debate about the mascots. There was a boy and a girl. I thought both were dragons, just of different colors. Austin thought the boy was an anteater. I think dragons can have varying lengths of noses. I guess that's just me though. We ate the requisite baseball food- hot dogs and caramel corn. The caramel corn wasn't the best, but I love popcorn so I didn't mind. Although it was a little rainy, it was a fun outing with the best people around! I must also put in a plug for Austin, who had to swing from night shift to day shift and so had been awake for something like 27 hours by the time we got home- with only an hour nap while Landon was napping during the day. What a trooper!

The look of wonder when Landon was still interested in the game