This is a custom
designed trip
for baseball players. It's the only one of it's kind to
provide
a baseball vacation in Japan. In addition, you'll
have
many opportunities to interact with local citizens. Baseball is a great
medium between both cultures, even if you don't speak Japanese.
We'll
eat at some great restaurants, be entertained by a full time agenda,
see
some great sights and Play Baseball, Japanese style.
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The trip is open to any adult person
who
plays
baseball. The trip will be in May of 2005, while the
Cherry
Blossoms
are still in bloom and the weather is at it's best. Players,
family members and tourists are all
welcome. We'll need a team of 10-14 players. 3-4
good pitchers, a couple of catchers and some good position
players.
Come as a group or come as an individual player and join the team.
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The trip is far
more economical
than any travel agent could or would do. This is a rare
opportunity that we have an American player/guide to help put this
together.
No travel agency could put together a trip like this. First of
all,
they have a set tour plan and don't deviate, custom tours in Japan are
unheard of. Second, they don't have the baseball contacts.
Third, they would charge at least $4,000 and lead you to places they
want
you to see and spend money. Japan is a very expensive country but
we've got it designed to a reasonable cost that includes first class
personalized treatment
in every step of the way. One of our players, John Baessler, has
lived in Japan for 8 years.
Our trip is customized with us in mind
at a reasonable price of $1,995 not including airfare. This
includes
all lodging, ground transportation, all baseball, all tours, lots of
sightseeing,
shopping sprees, entertainment, full time guide, and all lunch and
dinners. |
Most every day we'll tour a
different area,
see the local attractions, and play a local baseball team.
Some
evenings will have group outings including dinners, a professional
baseball
game, hot tubs and Japanese entertainment.
Occasional joint
meals with the local team will allow the Japanese and USA players
to get together, exchange ideas and make new friends. You'll find
baseball enthusiasts of all age groups and levels of play eager to meet
and play ball with you. All facilities are top notch and high
quality.
Tokyo is the size of Los Angeles with the density of New York
City. It's filled with both old and new sites of interest.
We have a full time agenda that will leave you feeling fulfilled that
you've seen Japan.
Don't be just a tourist, be an International
Baseball Ambassador, get to know the people not just the
postcards. Be one of the privileged few to experience this new
and exciting adventure.
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Baseball
Baseball is the national past time in Japan, the
same as it is in the US. They have many leagues for amateurs of
all
ages. Our team will be made up of US players from various leagues
and organizations. The average age of our teams is usually in the
mid-40's. We generally have players in their 20's through the
60's, sometimes more. We'll be playing at least 4 games, maybe 5,
against local Japanese
teams of similar age and ability including some of our counterparts
from
Dodgertown
Japan . We'll be playing mostly in the evenings under the
lights
on quality fields, parks and maybe even in a professional
stadium. Japan amateur leagues use
a different type of ball. It's basically hard rubber with seams
and
dimples. It goes about 80-90% the distance of a normal
baseball.
They also have smaller fields. Expect the hits to be either
singles or home runs. Most, if not all, our games will be
Japanese
style, at least 1 will be American style.
The Japanese are real sticklers about uniforms
so we will want to have matching uniforms as much as possible. It
will be your
responsibility to obtain at least 1 matching uniform. Most of the
people on
this trip are from Dodgertown
West league that already have Dodger
uniforms so that will be the official uniform for our team.
Transportation
You'll need to make your own airline
reservations
to and from Japan Narita Airport. Once there, we'll meet you at
the
airport and guide you to the hotel for check in. Almost all
flights
arrive between 2-4 pm. The only way to get around in Japan is by
train and that's what we'll be doing. There is no need to fear
using
the trains. Japanese train system is very safe, advanced and
efficient.
It's everywhere and in English. It is the cheapest, fastest and
most
efficient
way to get anywhere. We'll guide you through the train stations
for the whole week including getting you back to the airport for
departure. All ground transportation is included in this
trip.
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Traffic in Tokyo is very bad. A normal
20 minute trip might take 2 hours of traffic and frustration.
Renting
cars is very difficult and preventative. Renting a second rate
bus
would cost about $3000 per day and we'd be spending all our time in
traffic. Using the streamlined train
system
is the only way to go and it is all included the the cost of the
trip. Plan on lots of walking as the only way to see Japan is by
foot. Our hotels are very close to everything and within easy
walking distance. For longer excursions, we'll use the train.
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Food
Almost all meals are included in the
trip.
Breakfasts are not included at our hotels. You will not like
Japanese breakfast. The best breakfasts in Japan are at
McDonalds. All breakfasts are on your own at restaurants very
close to our hotels. All lunches and dinners are included.
Our guide has
picked
several places to eat with great traditional and American style
foods. This
trip
will be an Epicurean Delight. Some dinners will be with the local
teams and some with just our team.
There are plenty of familiar American fast food and chain restaurants
all over
Japan. People very rarely get ill from food in Japan.
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Entertainment
One
night, we'll indulge ourselves in hot
steam
baths, hot tubs and massages. Another night we will attend a
local
professional baseball game at the Tokyo Dome or other near by
stadium. We'll visit the high tech Shinjuku District and be
staying in the
Roppongi Districts. The Roppongi area is the entertainment center
for Japan and will be right out the door of our hotel. There are
an unlimited number of bars, restaurants and entertainment places
within
very easy access. There will be plenty of time for
guided or private excursions to local clubs, bars and night life.
Japan is very safe and there is no problem being out long into the
night.
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Sightseeing
First 3 days will be in a traditional
Japanese Ryokan in the heart of the historic sites of Asakusa.
We'll decompress,
get accustomed to the local environment and customs. Each day, we'll
visit traditional sites of
historic Japan. We'll be visiting ancient
castles,
temples, gardens, and other treasures of Japan throughout the
week.
The remaining days we'll be in the Roppongi District, the heart of the
entertainment area, where we
will have a water tour of Tokyo on the new high tech boats, visit the
Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, tour the Tokyo Tower and see lots more
of modern and traditional Japan. |
Accommodations
We'll
be staying in great Japanese hotels
and
inns.
When you first arrive, we'll stay at the Shigetsu Hotel, which is a
Ryokan located right in the Asakusa historic area. We'll be
there for the first 3 nights then transfer to the newly built Baden
Hotel right in the middle of the Roppongi District, the International
City that Never Sleeps. All facilities are high quality,
close to train
stations
and restaurants. Rooms in Japan are very small, closet size, and
they charge by the person, not the room. At the Shigetsu Ryokan,
they have a limited number of single rooms. Some people will
double up and others will have their own room. At the hotel
Baden, each person will have their own room.
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Schedule
and Agenda
We'll start the trip when you arrive at Narita International
Airport on Monday.
We'll
be at the airport to greet you and help with transfer to our
hotel for check in, a modernized traditional style inn Ryokan
Shigetsu .
Some people will have individual rooms, some will share a double
or twin room.
Some will be Japanese style rooms and some will be Western style
rooms. This is a small but very nice traditional inn.
We'll decompressing
there and
have an evening
"get aquatinted" dinner.
On Tuesday
we'll begin
our tours of the historic Japanese cultural centers including the Asakusa
Temple grounds and
surrounding areas
and sites, there are many. We'll
have
lunch at Lmahan, legendary beef restaurant. After lunch we'll
spend more time in this historic area, see Meiji
Jingu Shrine and other sites before we had back to the hotel to pamper ourselves in Japanese
baths.
Our
guide will instruct us on the proper way to bathe in Japan. Prepare to
get naked! You'll
feel very Japanese after
all
this ancient treatment. In the evening, we'll visit the Asahi
Beer Headquarters building to sample some of the local brews.
On Wednesday, we'll have another full days
activities that will include a boat cruise down the Sumida
River to see Tokyo on the new
high
tech river cruisers.
We'll take a monorail ride over the Rainbow Bridge and back to cruise
the Tokyo Station. After lunch, we'll visit the Imperial
Palace area and Edo Castle grounds. In the late afternoon, we'll visit the hip area of Harajuku/Omotesando
and Oriental
Bazaar for some of the best shopping in the Orient. We'll
have some batting practice at the local batting stadium and then return
to the hotel to freshen up before dinner and a night out in the Shinjuk District.
On Thursday, we'll relocate to the
Roppongi
District and the newly built Hotel
Baden (now the Hotel B). Most everyone will have their own individual room at this
hotel. Roppongi is
the always bustling entertainment center of Japan and never
sleeps, it's tourist central. We'll have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe before we visit the Tokyo Tower. We'll visit other sites of Tokyo and the Roppongi
District before returning to our hotel and get ready for our first
game no. 1. We'll be playing Japanese
style baseball at Tokai University. Dinner after the game at an
Izakaya or similar dinner location.
Friday we'll plan on sleeping late before we head off to an early afternoon game no. 2. We'll
have a team vote for
type of lunch, Japanese or Western style. We'll return to the
hotel and prepare for our departure to the Tokyo Dome area. We'll
visit the Japanese Hall of Fame and have dinner in the Dome area before
we watch the Yomiuri Giants vs Nippon Ham Fighters at Tokyo
Dome. Be
prepared to yell, scream and sing a lot,
it's a totally different experience in Japan. We'll return to our hotel and the Roppongi District for optional evening out, hey it's Friday
night in the big city.
Saturday will be double header day. We'll need to be up and off early for our double header at the fashionable Yokohama
Country and Athletic Club in Yokohama, the 2nd largest city in Japan.
Game no. 3 and 4 will be American style. We'll be
spending time with the local team afterwards with all the finger
food you can eat and all the beer you can drink. No steal spikes, plastic or rubber only. Saturday night,
we'll eat out at another fine restaurant in the Roppongi District
before we embark on the town to
experience the entertainment areas of
the Roppongi
District. Bring your wallet and lots of cash.
On Sunday we'll transfer to a local ballpark for a game no. 5. This time against Ide Rakkyo and his local
baseball team. Ide is a famous Japanese comedian who loves
baseball and is a former Dodger fantasy camper. He was also my roommate at Dodgercamp. This may be our
toughest game and may possibly be filmed for Japanese TV, his crew
follow him everywhere. There
will be socializing
with the local team afterwards, and then we'll return to the
hotel. After a little rest, then it's off to dinner at a fabulous restaurant and final
night of evening
entertainment.
Monday is getaway day but there is
still
time to experience more of Tokyo. Most all US bound flights will
leave in the
late afternoon or evening
4-7 pm. We'll have morning to pack and catch up on some
shopping, you can leave your bags at the hotel.
We'll have our last lunch in Japan and depart to the airport at 1 pm. You leave Japan and arrive in the US on same day, a
new person never to be the same again.
Requirements
This trip is for amateur baseball players.
Wives, girl friends, family members or other tourists may also
attend. You will
need a valid passport, a visa is not required.
Outline
of Schedule for 8-day tour, 7 nights
Day
1
Sunday
May 15
|
Depart
US
Lose a day |
Day
2
Monday
May 16
|
Arrival
at Tokyo Narita
Airport Transfer to Asakusa and hotel for
decompression.
Evening Welcome Dinner
Lodging at Ryokan Shigetsu |
Day
3
Tuesday
May 17
|
Breakfast on your own
Sightseeing
in the Asakusa
Temple grounds and surrounding
area.
Lunch at Imahan Restaurant
Tours & shopping at Kappabashi
Afternoon tours
of Meiji
Jingu Shrine
Return to
hotel
Dinner at Japanese style Izakaya, Tsubohachi
Evening of
Traditional
Japanese Baths at hotel
Lodging at Ryokan Shigetsu
|
Day
4
Wednesday
May 18
|
Breakfast on your own
River boat cruise down the Sumida river into Tokyo Bay and back
Monorail ride over Rainbow Bridge and back.
Tokyo Station area for Lunch
Afternoon
tours of Imperial Palace, Edo Tokyo Castle area
Harajuku/Omotesando
and Oriental
Bazaar
Batting practice at local indoor batting cages.
Traditional Japanese Baths
Dinner and evening out on the town in Shinjuku
Lodging at Ryokan Shigetsu
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Day
5
Thursday
May 19
|
Breakfast on your own
Check into Hotel
Baden in the Roppongi
District
Lunch at Hard Rock Cafe
Visit to Tokyo
Tower
Return to hotel to get ready for
Evening Game 1 with local team at Tokai University
Dinner and entertainment at Izakaya style barbecue restaurant
Lodging at Hotel B
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Day
6
Friday
May 20
|
Breakfast on your own or included at hotel
Transfer to fields for afternoon Game 2 with local team
Team choice for location of lunch, Japanese or Western Style
Return to hotel to freshen up
Visit Tokyo Hall of Fame
Dinner at Tokyo Dome area
Evening
Baseball Game at Tokyo
Dome,
Yomiuri Giants vs Nippon Ham Fighters
Lodging at Hotel B
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Day
7
Saturday
May 21
|
Breakfast on your own or included at hotel
Morning Game 3 at Yokohama
Country and Athletic Club
Afternoon Game 4 at YCAC
Lunch at YCAC
Return to Hotel
Dinner and evening out on the town in Roppongi District, team choice of Japanese or Western Style
Lodging at Hotel B
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Day
8
Sunday
May 22
|
Breakfast
on your own or included at hotel
Morning and afternoon Shopping spree
Lunch in Tokyo
Transfer to field for Game 5 with Ide Rakkyo's team
Farewell Dinner at Roppongi area, Evening
Entertainment
Lodging at Hotel B
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Day
9
Monday
May 23
|
Breakfast on your own or included at hotel
Check out of hotel
Visit Omotesando for Last chance shopping
Lunch on Omotesando
Departure for
airport
Return to US
on
same day |
Dates
May 15-23, 2005
Total
Cost
Trip Cost is $1,995 with you providing your own
matching Dodger uniform.
There is no single room supplement as everyone
will have individual rooms except about half the people on the first 3
nights.
Airfare to and from Japan is not included.
Current rates from the west coast are in the $570-800 range for May 2005.
Universal
Currency
#1
Currency
Converter #2
If you would like more information on
playing
in Japan send an email to Dennis@DennisMc.com
| Included is: Transfer to and from Airport
Hotel accommodation for 7
nights.
All local transport via train and
taxi.
Admission to scheduled tourist
attractions.
All Lunches
All Dinners
See a professional baseball game
All baseball costs (umpires, fields,
etc.).
Full Time Translator/Guide
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Not
included is: Air fare or
other transport costs to
and from Japan
Non-scheduled trips (taxis, buses,
trains
etc.).
All breakfast (some may be included at 2nd hotel)
Each player to bring their own
playing
gear and uniform.
|
Contact
Dennis McCroskey, Baseball Adventures.
P.O. Box 707
Mendocino, CA 95460
707-937-4478
707-937-2349 fax
Email: Dennis@DennisMc.com
or John Baessler
Email: johnbaessler@yahoo.com
Sign
Up
To sign up for this trip we need you to fill
out the application form and send a $500 deposit. If for
some
reason, the trip does not happen, all deposits will be returned in
full.
The balance will be due by April 1, 2005.
Roster
We needed a minimum of 10 players with a maximum of
14. Right now we have 14 total of which 12 are players leaving
room for 2 more players so the trip is a definite.
Roster of Players
| Player |
Status |
Positions
|
Dennis McCroskey
John Baessler
Mike McClellan
Brian Schlatter
Dennis Veltz
Jerry DeLorenzo
Terry Lee
Joe Baldo
Ed Garelick
Colin Stoner
Robert Frederick
Jeff Baldo
|
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
|
P,IF
OF
IF
IF.OF,P
1B, OF
OF
IF,OF
IF,OF
IF,P
IF,C
1B, OF
OF,IF
|
Non Players
|
Status
|
Positions
|
Barbara Baldo
Kristen Baldo
Neal Fujiwara
|
Confirmed
Confirmed
Confirmed
|
Support
Support
Support
|
|
|
Baseball at the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club
YCAC Team Photo
Senso-Ji Temple
Asakusa at night
Land of the rising sun
Godzilla
Asakusa Temple
Shinjuku by night
Oriental Bazaar
Be ready for a new eating experience
McDonalds for Breakfast
Departure Terminal at Narita Airport
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