The Hiroshima Toyo Carp play their home games a few miles from ground zero of one of the most destructive moments in human history.
Thursday night, on the 70th anniversary of an atomic bomb devastating their city during World War II, the Carp remembered the victims with a special "Peace Night" during their game against the Hanshin Tigers.
Every player on the team wore a uniform bearing number 86 — for Aug. 6, the date in 1945 of the bombing. Arcing over the number on the back of the jersey was the word "HIROSHIMA." The front of the jersey read "PEACE." There was a white dove on the hats.
The team also held pregame ceremonies dedicated to remembering the victims.
The Carp joined Japan's Central League as an expansion team in 1950, a move designed to aid the reconstruction of the area after the bombing. From 1957-2009, the Carp's home stadium was across the street from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They moved to a new ballpark a few miles away in 2009.
