Plans moving ahead for 2008 games in Japan

[Boston's Future]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=a ... &type=lgns

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Baseball officials are moving ahead with plans to play regular-season games in Tokyo in 2008.

The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners are American League teams interested in playing in Japan next year, several officials have said in recent weeks. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres have expressed interest among National League teams.

"I expect that we will have games in Tokyo next spring," Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, said Tuesday before the All-Star game. "We're looking at the schedule, looking at what's available, looking at permutations, looking at teams training in Arizona vs. teams training in Florida."

The Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets opened the 2000 season with a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome, and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays started the 2004 season with two games there. A 2003 series between Seattle and Oakland at the Tokyo Dome was called off because of the threat of war in Iraq.

The players' union agreed to postpone the deadline for a draft of the 2008 schedule from the end of June to the end of July.

Baseball also is interested in playing exhibition games in Beijing next spring, but planning for that appears to be going more slowly.

"We're still batting around some ideas and frankly expect to have a position paper on the commissioner's desk on or around the owners' meetings in August," DuPuy said.

Owners are next scheduled to meet Aug. 14-15 in Toronto.

[Boston's Future]

I've never been a big fan of teams going overseas to play games. Teams have home stadiums for a reason. Traveling will wear a tole on the players, and i guess saftey could be an issue too in todays world

[sideshowking24]

whats their motivation behind this whole idea? Unless American teams are playing teams from Japan, I don't see the point.

[2004RedSox]

I think it is great! We've got Ichiro & DiceK from Japan, and the reason is that millions of Japanese love the game! It's the sport they play over there. You never hear about the draft for the NFL heading to Japan, right?

IMO, if it gets us some sweet players and more money into the MLB, what's the harm? As far as safety goes, Japan is one of the safest places besides Sigapore to go in Asia.

Bottom line, if the players want to go for it, then "play ball". No one is going to lose their home field, they will still be here for them when they get home

[sideshowking24]

I just don't really see the point for American teams to play American teams overseas. I would however like to see an MLB team stack up against a Japanese League team. Not like in the WBC when our stars play their stars (although I think thats cool too), but say the Boston Red Sox vs. the Chunichi Dragons, or something like that. I dunno know of a scenario where that would ever happen, I just think it would be cool.

[studcrackers]

they put together all star teams every year and play a japanese all star team in the off season i think its like 7-9 games or something

[sideshowking24]

really? do they televise it at all?

...but still though. I would like to see an every day MLB team play and every day Japanese team.

[HMFFL]

It's wise for any large market team to get involved here.

[2004RedSox]

really? do they televise it at all?

...but still though. I would like to see an every day MLB team play and every day Japanese team.

I agree... Looking at it from a promotional or business eye, what could be wrong about televising something as great as this?

Forget the money, as a baseball fan, I would love to see this happen. A regularly schedule game half way around the world.

PLAY BALL! PURE-BO-RU!