Fifty-five years after the first ball was thrown in the Hiroshima Dome, the hometown Carp have laid claim to six Central League pennants and three Japan Series Championships. And with the coming of spring, the energy of a new baseball season is spreading throughout the city.

But let's not get too excited here.

Hiroshima Carp stadium

The JBalls winter break has come to a close and we're left with roller-coaster weather outdoors. A beautiful battle between the sublime morning freshness of spring versus pain-inducing icy winds. The Japanese have a word for this, sankanshion, basically meaning three days cold, four days hot. If only Carp's irregularity was as predictable. What lies ahead in the new season isn't crystal clear but the feel around the stadium is an optimistic third place finish, though realism leaves the guess somewhat lower.

The Carp - the only team lacking a major sponsor - have been unable to sign big name players. And even with a reported salary cap, they are by far the weakest team financially in the major leagues. This is perhaps one explanation for their inconsistency from year to year, but it also goes a long way to explain why they have built such a passionate fan base in otherwise conservative Hiroshima.

The fans they cry Shima! Shima, or Aka-Godzilla (Red Godzilla), as he is known to Hiroshima's devoted due to his number 55 shirt which he shares with Japanese legend Matsui (the original Godzilla) , is nothing short of an enigma. He inched his way onto the plate following an endless string of injuries to first team regulars. And this was only after 10 years in the minor leagues and being on the verge of quitting the game altogether. He shocked the entire baseball world by taking the Central Leagues batting title with a batting average of 33.7%. From zero to hero he's carrying the Carp into the next season in a haze of expectation.

He'll be joined by long-time Carp, The Samurai Maida. An ever consistent but openly selfish player, with little emphasis on team play, injury-prone Maida will once again be a focus of attention. Dubbed the Samurai due to his calm under-pressure and his unique beautiful mastery of the bat, Maida has his own style, his own mentality and is clouded in mystery. Some say he is arrogant, others argue that he is so with cause.

Whatever their opinions, so long as he stays off the injured list and performs to his capabilities, his name will yet again be hot on the printing press of the Hiroshima Carp replica shirt shop.

Player line-up before the game

With Matsui and Maida leading the batting and Carp's "Ace" Olympic team member Kuroda starting at the mound, Hiroshima could pull off something unexpected. But the Carp are not flush with young talent, which could pose a problem as the season draws on.

Head Coach Aka Helu San, or Mr. Red Helmet has his work cut out for him, if his team is to march to pennant glory. Only time will tell if the Carp will sink or swim.