Japan's baseball teams to curb talent drain with ban

Thursday 09th October, 02:26 PM JST

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outofmydepth at 07:07 PM JST - 9th October

why should players be penalized for wanting to play in the best leagues? i think it is a crying shame.
northlondon at 07:20 PM JST - 9th October

Companies are free to hire who they want. So are the baseball teams. It's not the Japanese government which is putting bans in place. Suing NPB? Sounds very slippery to me. All the teams need to say is, "We don't need you". Try to argue the opposite in court.

Incorrect. The NPB are placing a blanket ban. They are not naming specific individuals who they say are not good enough for their teams. Therefore this is restraint of trade. They are free to hire whoever they wish, but this ban has been put in place in advance before any specific individual choice is made by the teams.
ProfessorJ at 07:28 PM JST - 9th October

You could argue until the cows came home (what?) but the fact is the NPB have nipped this in the bud and it will stand. For pride and for money. I suspect it will work too. Most players will accept it, the NPB can enjoy all the benefits of having its best players actually around, and if they're still good enough in nine years they can make even more cash from them when they sell them to the MLB. They stand to lose alot if they let them go over straight out of school. They get very little in return. It's trade and protectionism at its best, and it makes me want to vomit repeatedly.
hoserfella at 07:59 PM JST - 9th October

Presto345- What you just described is collusion. MLB clubs had a secret agreement and refused to sign free agents in the late 80's to keep salaries down. The players union successfully sued the clubs and were awarded millions a few years later.
Maff at 08:25 PM JST - 9th October

It's a bit of a gamble if you ask me. The best young players might just decide to go to the U.S. and never play in Japan - ever.

If that happens, NPB will become even less popular than it is now.
GW at 08:43 PM JST - 9th October

whats a matter J-ball ya trying to pull a sumo here or what ya daft fools.

just imagine if regular Tanaka`s had to deal with this kind of crap
slappayuki at 10:30 PM JST - 9th October

Hopefully Japanese players understand who is really important. The fans of Japan.
sharky1 at 10:40 PM JST - 9th October

Looks kind of counter productive...why come back and play in Japan at all? Don't think this idea was thought through very well...
ProfessorJ at 11:03 PM JST - 9th October

Who really cares. Japanese baseball is of such sub-standard that they should keep their best just to make it look like baseball. Bunch of weak-limbed pencilneck geeks out there on astroturfed mini-size fields. I see Sadaharu is on the coaching team for the WBC next March. When they disappoint there, you'll have a whole bunch of 18 year olds thinking man, I have to play with these amateur losers for nine years? Do I take the risk and just go to the MLB? Nah I might not make it plus imagine all the ostracism I'll get from the losers who are just jealous. Man Japan sucks.
projecthaberno at 01:02 AM JST - 10th October

I guess they would then opt for another country with a pro league such as Korea.

Poor losers.

Even if this is challenged I could see how all the teams would secretly agree to a "de facto ban" on returnees. Look at what MLB did to Barry Bonds this year - that was crazy. Just think how many teams he could have helped, but he couldn't get even a $390,000 deal.
JohnBecker at 01:12 AM JST - 10th October

Man Japan sucks.

Professor, that seems to be at the core of every comment I've seen from you. Thanks so much for your insight. You've inspired us all.

As for J-baseball: it's true that it's not MLB-level, but it's fun to watch and the crowds are nuts. If the league wants to keep their best players at home, maybe they should pay them more. I imagine if the players were getting about 80% of what they would be paid in the U.S., none of this would be a problem.
presto345 at 02:57 PM JST - 10th October

I heartily agree with you, JohnBecker. We don't need to replace Japanese baseball with MLB, thank you.
hoserfella at 05:27 PM JST - 10th October

projecthaberno- Bonds would have been entitled to the $1,000,000 mimimum salary for veteran player's, I believe. Its still peanuts but what club in their right mind would employ a clubhouse cancer with a jail sentence for lying to a grand jury hanging over his head? not to mention the problems finding a hat size for that huge melon of his...
hoserfella at 05:39 PM JST - 10th October

JohnBecker- ever seen the faces of the fan clubs as they go "nuts"? Pure, 100%, zombie-like boredom. Cheering here is a job, complete with practices. But who can blame them after a steady diet of no inside pitching, no breaking up double plays, pitchers who never challange hitters, slap-hitting 155-pound players who look eerily like one another (were they cloned?) and cookie-cutter, soul-sapping, multi-purpose stadiums that have all the charm of a Japanese dentist's office. And don't get me started about the 700yen beers that are 50% head...
timorborder at 02:26 PM JST - 16th October

This reminds me of the gold days of the MLB when the different teams just could not help colluding with each other. Can you say the word "Cartel?" This is what the NPB is at the current time, a good ol' boy's club that does not give a XXXXX about baseball per se. The argument they are using is that talent is going overseas. A counter argument would be that labor (the players) are just going where the money is better. If you consider the Japanese team I like, they sXck big time. However, I won't hold my breath about there being any improvements in the near future, simply because the team doesn't spend money on personnel. Moreover, they repay there loyal fans by riping the aXse out of everying in terms of prices. 600 Yen for a beer?