Golden Eagles

I heard this idea on NPR, and I think it bears repeating! In Sendai, one of the areas most heavily damaged by the Earthquake/Tsunami Horror, they have a baseball team called "The Golden Eagles".They play in Japan's Pacific League.



In the disaster, their stadium was damaged, and their GM, American Marty Kuehnert has gone missing. 

Here are the players observing a moment of silence before a recent exhibition game, honoring the dead and missing. I was somewhat suprised to learn that Japan's teams are as multi-cultural as our own. The Eagles have had players from America, China, Canada and the Dominican Republic.

Even though it's a terrible, hard situation, I think we should reach out and use this as an opportunity for something positive. As the "Sports Curmudgeon" suggested- we should invite them to come play some charity games with teams here in the states.  I think it's a great way to recognize the shared pastimes, and the similarities between our baseball cultures. It's also a fantastic opportunity to raise money to rebuild their hometown.