The Hanshin Tigers have donated 4,500 rain ponchos to the city of Osaka for use as emergency protective gear in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic the club revealed on Friday.

Facing a shortage of protective clothing for health care workers battling the highly infectious and deadly virus, Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui called for donations of unused rain gear on Tuesday as a stopgap measure.

“I think they are of limited usefulness, but we sent them in the hope we could help make up for the shortage in some way,” said Osamu Tanimoto, the Hanshin’s head of baseball operations.

The Tigers, who play at historic Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, located in neighboring Hyogo Prefecture, were for much of their history called the Osaka Tigers. Tanimoto said the ponchos were to be handed out to season ticket holders whose seats behind home plate are not covered by Koshien’s roof in the event of rain.

RELATED PHOTOS Tigers outfielder Kosuke Fukudome practices at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. | KYODO