Review: Chiba Lotte Marines 2010 DVD

While the start of the 2011 NPB season was understandably delayed until April 12 due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Chiba's opening day match with the Rakuten Eagles tomorrow affords me an opportunity to take one last look at the Marines' dream season of 2010. Although the Marines 2010 DVD was the only item on my Christmas wish list, I had to wait a couple months to receive it due to supply issues at the team store. Once I received it, it proved well worth the wait. As a thorough document of the team's entire season (2 hours 45 min.), plus playoffs (45 min.), it's hard to ask for more.

For an overseas fan who has to satisfy himself with on-line updates while eating breakfast and the occasional broadcast on TV Japan, the DVD is nothing short of a godsend. As expected, it provides recaps of most of the team's wins, the big plays, and the sayonara home runs (looks like Satozaki was just as clutch during the regular season as he was in the playoffs). It doesn't just stop there though. For example, it highlights Ogino's four steal performance in a losing effort against Orix, noting how his incredible speed on the base paths allows him to take short leads and still run at will. When the Marines were in the middle of a seven game losing streak in mid-summer, their ace, Naruse, pitched 8 innings of shutout ball on the way to a 3-2 complete game victory. The DVD takes the time to tell the story of the game as Naruse pitched himself out of jams and proved he was the team's stopper at a crucial part of the season. Milestone presentations to Iguchi and bench clearing hard slides into the catcher by Imae aside, it is also nice to put faces to the names of so many players who played key roles in the team's success.

Every score of every game.

The playoff document also does an excellent job of recapturing the emotions of a Marines' playoff run that was so improbable it bears repeating. First, they went on the road to sweep a strong Seibu Lions team, coming from behind to win both games. Then, they went down to Fukuoka--down 1-0 due to playoff rules--and took that series from the Hawks 4-3, all on the road. Even though the Marines' Japan Series battle with the Chunichi Dragons featured some lopsided scores, it was not without drama in the end thanks to Game 6 ending in a tie before they came back in Game 7 (yet again!) from a 6-2 deficit to win the game 8-7 and the series 4-2-1. Watching the highlights, even knowing what happens, it is still thrilling to see how they pulled it off.

A tribute to Team 26--the fans who out cheer everybody on the road.

After viewing the DVD in its entirety, it's easier to grasp the story of the season. This was a veteran team that could flat out mash and had just enough pitching to get them through to when it counted. More importantly, it was a team that played best with its back against the wall, winning three straight to make the playoffs before proving almost no lead was insurmountable once they got there. The Marines might be in line for a step back in 2011 after the loss of Nishioka and their closer Kobayashi, but the memories of the 2010 season will carry fans well into the new season. Owning this well produced DVD just makes it that much easier to savour.