I'm dying because I can't get Hanshin Tigers tickets - Koshien Major Reform Proposal 260213

Ticket release day.

The moment I hear that "start of sales" signal, I stop being a professional baseball fan and turn into a slave to the connection.

And today, it's the same old thing.

I can't even connect to the site.

Time just melts away while I'm unable to connect.

If I lost a lottery, I could accept it.

But this is different. It's the kind of loss where you aren't even allowed to participate in the game.

……No, I get it. It's great that they're popular.

It's also great that Hanshin is strong.

But look, fans don't live on "strength" alone.

We live to watch at Koshien, scream until our voices are hoarse, and soak in the afterglow on the way home.

I managed to get mine. That's exactly why I can say this.

Let me say this first.

I have been a fan club member for over 20 years. I am a premier member.

Furthermore, I pay an additional 30,000 yen in dues to be a Diamond Plus member.

Therefore, I have been able to secure tickets for at least four games through the priority window.

In this regard, I appreciate the team.

The stance of valuing members with 20 consecutive years of membership is good.

Because—

You cannot buy 20 years of history.

That is a strong statement, but it is a fact.

The 'history of trust' built by renewing every year exists on a different dimension than just paying fees.

However, that is precisely why there are things I can see.

The lower tier—new to mid-level members—

are unable to get even a single ticket despite paying annual dues.

This is happening, isn't it?

And that is not due to a 'lack of effort,' but rather the structure itself.

What's happening now isn't just 'popularity.' It's a 'lack of infrastructure.'

Hanshin's popularity is now bordering on a social phenomenon.

Yet, the gateway to tickets is still dominated by 'server luck' and 'click luck.'

This isn't a baseball problem.

It's a problem of spectator infrastructure.d.

• There aren't enough seats.

• Supply is low relative to demand.

• The entrance (sales) is clogged, and fans are burning out.

• As a result, the value of a fan club membership becomes 'connection speed bragging rights' rather than 'lottery rights.'

At this point, what the team needs to do isn't about mental attitude.

It's about physics.

Redefining Koshien: A 'Major Reform' for the Next Generation

Koshien is a sacred ground.

But a sacred ground isn't a place to be protected just because it's old.

It is a vessel to capture the passion of the next generation.

From here on are my proposals.

I'm not half-joking.

In fact, I'm half-serious and angry.

Proposal A: First, reform the 'entrance' before 'increasing seats'

Change the design of the team, ticket agencies, and fan club systems.

• Stop using the first-come, first-served method that assumes the server will crash

• If it's first-come, first-served, properly implement a waiting queue (virtual waiting room)

• Enhance identity verification and anti-resale measures to ensure tickets actually reach fans

• While maintaining preferential treatment for existing members, incorporate a design where mid-tier fans can also 'win at least once a year'

In short,reduce the 'effort of not being able to get tickets'.

However, this is just 'first aid.' It is not a fundamental cure.

Proposal B: Increase the 'capacity' of Koshien (Option B is the only choice)

The problem is the number of seats.

If popularity has risen this much, the capacity itself must change.

Multi-layering the infield.

Essentially, a major renovation on the scale of a new stadium.

And increase the seating capacity to the 60,000-person scale.

To those who say, "It's impossible."

This is what I want to say.

We must transcend reality with our ideas.

The technology exists. And if we try, we can raise the money.

What matters is the "flag" we fly.

And, a dream funding plan: Directing posting money to a "Koshien Fund"

Suppose Teruaki Sato challenges the major leagues in the future and posting money comes in.

We should allocate a portion of that to the future of Koshien.

This isn't just "romance." It's an investment.

There was once a debate about how Kei Igawa's posting money was used.

If so, next time we should just state it clearly.

"Funds to update Koshien for the next generation."

Tiger fans will get on board with this.

Because Tiger fans are more moved by stories than by logic.

Enlightenment campaign: Please cooperate to surpass Dodger Stadium!

It sounds like a joke, but you should seriously do this.

The world's greatest attendance

If there is a stadium that can be called that, Koshien should aim for it too.

Koshien is the headquarters of Japanese baseball culture.

Then it might as well become the world's greatest venue.

No, it should become one.

And tell the Tiger fans this.

You'll probably laugh at this phrase.

But after you laugh, something inside you will burn.

That's the kind of creature a Tigers fan is.

Conclusion: Koshien should not be a 'symbol of the past,' but a vessel for 'future demand.'

I appreciate the team's stance of valuing members who have been with them for 20 consecutive years.

But at the same time, if we want to increase the number of fans over the next 10 or 20 years,

we must update both the vessel and the entrance, or the culture will get clogged and break.

Not being able to get tickets is proof of popularity.

But 'dying without ever getting one' is a loss for the culture.

It's great that the Hanshin Tigers are strong.

It's also a fact that Koshien is the best.

That is precisely why—

It is time to redefine Koshien for the next generation.