Jingu Stadium was mostly silent on the eve of the Japan Series — save for the constant drone of bats hitting balls and the other assorted sounds of a Japanese baseball practice.
The scene will be different Saturday night when the fans — some draped in blue and gold and others clutching small umbrellas — file into the venerable old ballpark for a rematch of last year's epic six-game showdown for the title.
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Orix Buffaloes staged one of the most competitive series in recent memory last season and put the finishing touches on their preparations for the rematch at Jingu Stadium on Friday. Both teams practiced for a couple of hours on a day when the wind was blowing out and sunlight streaked through the clouds overhead.