Hideki Matsui's projected line for 2004:

G - 162
AB - 580
R - 136
H - 185
2B - 36
3B - 3
HR - 29
RBI - 104
BB - 113
SO - 110
AVE - .318
OBP - .433
SLG - .542
OPS - .975

Looks like he's "adjusting" quite well in his 2nd year in the US....

This from the Diamond Mind Weblog 6/1/2004:

"Reliever Akinori Otsuka is an interesting story. His stats were so
incredibly good in Japan that he was projected to be the best
reliever in the game even after we applied our standard adjustments
for the difference in the level of competition. We didn't see how a
relatively unheralded guy could be that good, so we adjusted his
projection to be more reasonable -- a 2.88 ERA and a .639 OPS. Two
months into the season, Otsuka's ERA is about half that (1.42) and
his OPS allowed is an astonishing .426, with opponents batting
only .140 against him. "

i am travelling to japan, and wonder how i would purchase hanshin
tigers tickets.  i hear they are sold out, but that there is a
healthy blackmarket...any advice for the wary?

Yes, Hanshin has changed the rules this year, so you can't line up early at
Gate 18 on game day and buy the cheap tickets. It's quite understandable,
but definitely annoying! These days I buy tickets for all the games I want
to go to that year at Koshien in April, and work my schedule around them!
Each year since I've been in Japan it's become more difficult to get Tigers
tickets, as the team gets better and better - I used to walk up to the gate
at 6 and pick up a ticket even if the Giants were playing.

You can still buy tickets off the Internet, both the right way and through
second hand sales. I'll be back in Osaka in two weeks and my Japanese friend
got us Carp tickets. If you have no luck I'll ask her the exact sites to
look at, although they may only be in Japanese. Or, I'm guessing most of the
others on the list will be slightly more computer literate than myself! I
don't want to endorse the practice or otherwise but...I'll just mention that
there will be scalpers around the ground and you won't necessarily have to
pay too much more.

In any case, you have definitely chosen the right team to see! Don't listen
to the masses of Swallows fans here, there is nothing like the atmosphere of
a game at Koshien, and the marvellous, inclusive fans! Just sit down and all
those around you will make friends with you and offer you all manner of
snacks, as well as the obligatory balloons. Also, don't rule out Osaka Dome
or Yahoo Stadium in Kobe if you can't get to a Tigers game. They have
nothing on the excitement of Koshien, but still have devoted fans and the
Kobe Stadium is gorgeously balmy in summer. If the Hawks or particularly the
Marines are playing, you'll see some awesome fans.

Good luck. Go Tigers!

R


>From: "englishzero" <englishzero@...>
>Reply-To: j-ball@yahoogroups.com
>To: j-ball@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [j-ball] going to see tigers play
>Date: Mon, 07 Jun 2004 00:07:24 -0000
>
>i am travelling to japan, and wonder how i would purchase hanshin
>tigers tickets.  i hear they are sold out, but that there is a
>healthy blackmarket...any advice for the wary?
>

_________________________________________________________________
What's your house worth? Click here to find out:
http://www.ninemsn.realestate.com.au

Gilmore-san wrote:

> Did anyone reply as to whether the specifications of the Japanese pro
> baseball where the same as MLB?

I replied with the following directly to the SABR-L list and to a
similar question on my web site:

Date:    Fri, 18 Jun 2004 10:46:26 +0900
From:    "Michael Westbay (SysAdmin)
Subject: Re: Size of baseballs in Japan

  > Are the baseballs used in Japan made to exactly the same size,
  > weight, and coefficient of restitution requirements as those used
  > in Major League Baseball?  Are Japanese baseballs made in Costa Rica?

1.  The ball must be made of cork, cow hide, and other materials.
2.  The ball must be between 141.7 and 148.8 grams.
3.  The ball must be between 22.9 to 23.5 cm in circumference.

Shukan Baseball, a weekly baseball magazine in Japan, goes through the
process of making a ball in Issue 25.

1.  21 mm diameter cork is wrapped with black then red rubber, twice.
      What comes out is divided into three grades.
2.  Balls bound for NPB are wrapped with 60 grams of 100% virgin wool,
      while those for high school use 90% virgin wool.  They are then
      wrapped with the same amount of a different color of wool.  The
      length of the two threads of wool combined should be 100 meters.
3.  Next comes 10 grams of cotton thread which will define the size
      of the ball.  (High school balls are made of 6 grams cotton
      thread, 4 grams of polyester.)
4.  The ball is dipped in an adhesive solution to bound the threads.
5.  The back of domestic cows are used for the covers.  While it's
      possible to make 160 balls per cow, only 12-13 cuts per cow hide
      are used in professional baseballs.  220 cm long thread is then
      stitched through 108 holes to bind the cover on the ball.

* To the best of my translation ability, which has been known to miss
    some details from time to time.

I doubt if they're made in Costa Rica.  The photos accompanying the
above article had a number of signs written in Japanese in the
background, but there was no mention of where the factory (Mizuno's) was
located.

They may have some Costa Ricans employed in their factories, but that's
a different issue.

Approved manufacturers are:  Mizuno (the most popular), Kubota, Zett,
Asics, Nasu, and Matsukan (in no particular order).

--
Michael Westbay
Writer/System Administrator
http://JapaneseBaseball.com

Shingo Takatsu of the White Sox has now made 23 consecutive scoreless
appearances, spanning 25.1 innings. During the stretch, opposing
hitters are batting just .110 (9-for-82) off Takatsu.

From Stats, Inc.

I don't know if any others here have received your copy yet, but I
was just informed that my copy, ordered through Sasuga Books, was
shipped today.

Gene

Hello All...I will be in Sasebo for about a  week and would like to
go and see a baseball game.  I notice that the Fukuoka Hawks play not
too far from Sasebo but there first game while I am there is not till
the 24th.  Is there any other games nearby?
If not, where can I buy tickets over the internet for the 24th?

Thanks.

Mark

What a season it has been in MLB during 2004! We have witnessed some
fantastic plays and some very talented players in action. At the same
time, managers have really had an impact on how this season has
played out. Whether it is Texas Rangers' skipper, Buck Showalter,
taking a last place team to the brink of the playoffs, or Ron
Gardenhire of the Twins leading his squad to their fourth straight
division crown, managers have played a huge part in the success of
their teams this season.

Pitching has become more and more of a factor in the Big Leagues, as
of late, and it has made the managers' job that much more important
in terms of the decision making that goes along with it.

There have also been some great seasons by managers of two teams, not
even close to the playoffs, which have improved tremendously this
season. Both Alan Trammell of the Detroit Tigers, and Eric Wedge of
the Cleveland Indians, have taken teams with dismal last season
records and improved them in leaps and bounds. Both managers will be
looking forward to 2005, but should not be counted out of the running
for this year's award based on their teams' overall improvement.

"I think what Buck Showalter has done this season with the Rangers
has been astounding." said Dave Johnson, CEO of WagerWeb.com. "A lot
of money has come in on him, but we have also received some action on
Red Sox Manager Terry Francona. I would guess that money is coming
out of Boston, and onto Yankees' skipper, Joe Torre, who seems to be
in the running every year."

This award will likely come down to which teams went into the
postseason the strongest, if it is given to a team that ends up in
the postseason. The big exception could come from the Texas Rangers
where, after losing all-world player Alex Rodriguez, Showalter and
his staff have taken the Rangers to the doorstep of the playoffs.
Even if the Rangers fail to make MLB's second season, he will still
most likely be the favorite to win the award.

WAGERWEB.COM IS PLEASED TO RELEASE ODDS ON: "WHO WILL WIN THE 2004
MLB AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD?"

MLB 2004 AMERICAN LEAGUE MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Buck Showalter-Texas Rangers 1:1 +$100
Mike Scioscia-Anaheim Angels 2:1 +$200
Terry Francona-Boston Red Sox 3:1 +$300
Eric Wedge-Cleveland Indians 5:1 +$500
Ron Gardenhire- Minnesota Twins 6:1 +$600
Ken Macha-Oakland A's 8:1 +$800
Joe Torre-New York Yankees 9:1 +$900
Alan Trammell-Detroit Tigers 10:1 +$1000
Field-Any Manager Not Listed 15:1 +$1500

Note: This wager applies to the 2004 MLB AL Manager of the Year Award
voted on by the BWAA and is in no way associated with any other media
award. The BWAA is an association of baseball writers that votes on
awards such as the MVP, Cy Young and Manager of the Year

Fore more information go to www.wagerweb.com

----- Original Message -----

From: SABRscouts@...

To: j-ball@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 3:29 AM

Subject: [j-ball] Livedoor or Rakuten?

Sure is peaceful in this forum..   These items caught my eye.

Tom O'Malley to manage Livedoor baseball team in Japan
http://www.canada.com/sports/baseball/story.html?id=ccbea338-00e1-4b6d-bdf9-c8fdbc36cddf

Kuehnert to head Rakuten team

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getsp.pl5?sb20041006a1.htm

I'd appreciate it if those of you closer to these stories would keep the rest of us informed on the developments regarding decisions on the new franchise. 

 

Thanks.

 

Rod Nelson

 

A World Cup for baseball? It isn't as easy as it sounds
By AMY  CHOZICK
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 18, 2004

During the seventh-inning stretch at Seattle Mariners home games, a steady
stream of baseball fans line up at the Intentional Wok, a concession stand
selling Japanese food. Paul Owen says he doesn't mind waiting a while for an
Ichi-Roll, the albacore tuna sushi roll named after the team's Japanese right
fielder, Ichiro Suzuki.

Mr. Owen, a longtime holder of Mariners season tickets, says he's grateful
for the Japanese influence, and not just on the cuisine. "Ichiro is the best
player we've got," says the 38-year-old marketing executive.

Indeed, the Mariners star, who this year broke the major-league record for
hits in a single season, is one of the best players in all of baseball  and  a
fitting symbol of the internationalization of the game in America. On opening
day of this season, more than 27% of all major-league players and almost half
of  all minor leaguers in the U.S. were foreign-born.

Those kinds of numbers have also helped raise the profile of Major League
Baseball around the world. Panama, for instance, has surpassed the U.S. as
having the highest share of television sets tuned into the World Series for 
three
of the past five years; last year an average of 35% of viewers in Panama
watched the games, compared with 20% in the U.S., according to MLB figures. In
Japan, meanwhile, ratings for the 2003 All-Star Game were higher than in the
U.S.

To build on those trends -- and the marketing potential they imply -- MLB
officials and the Major League Baseball Players' Association have proposed a
tournament of 16 national teams, which has been unofficially dubbed the World
Cup, to be held every four years, just like the international soccer
competition  of the same name. "If we can combine people's passion for baseball
with
their  passion for their flag, then the game will truly be international," says
Paul  Archey, senior vice president of MLB  International.

The potential appeal to fans is enormous: Sportswriters have rhapsodized
about the prospect of watching confrontations like Dominican pitching ace Pedro
Martinez of the Boston Red Sox facing American slugger Barry Bonds of the San
Francisco Giants in a game where they would be wearing the uniforms of their
respective countries. Celebrated teammates like Panamanian pitcher Mariano
Rivera and Puerto Rican catcher Jorge Posada of the New York Yankees might play
  against each other. When the proposal was made, hopes ran high that the
first  tournament could be held next year.

But for all the financial and athletic attraction of such a competition,
pulling together an international tournament is proving to be tougher than might
be expected. Some of the problems are simply logistics: for instance timing
the  games so they don't interfere with the play of professional leagues is
crucial,  because only then will the world's best players be available. The
biggest  problem, though, is a more fundamental one: Baseball may be the most
American of  games, but in reacting to the American proposal, officials from
Japan
and South  Korea say they want more of a voice in how any competition is run,
and in how  the revenue is distributed.

MLB's 'Vested Interest'

The American plan, broached last November, is to have the U.S. host a
competition with 16 national teams, including one from the U.S., to be played
sometime in March. Although it hasn't been decided exactly which countries would
be invited, the list is likely to include Japan, South Korea, Canada, Taiwan,
the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico, Italy, the
Netherlands, Australia and Cuba.

Under the proposal, 53% of the revenue from the tournament would go to MLB,
the players' association, professional leagues from other participating
countries, and the International Baseball Federation, or IBAF, in Lausanne,
Switzerland, a governing body recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Details on how that money would be divided haven't been worked out. The
remaining revenue would be used for prize money.

MLB officials first approached their Japanese counterparts with the plan.
One reason, says MLB International's Mr. Archey, is that there is greater
potential for scheduling conflicts with the Japanese professional leagues than
with most other countries' leagues. But the Americans also consider Japanese
baseball to be the strongest organization outside the U.S., and Japan is the
biggest source of revenue internationally for Major League Baseball.

MLB took in $60 million in revenue from Japan in 2003, more than all other
countries combined outside the U.S. Last year, one out of every six households
in Japan watched the first game of the World Series between the Florida
Marlins  and the Yankees, in Japanese outfielder Hideki Matsui's first year with
the New  York team. MLB opened a Tokyo office last year and says Kazuo Matsui
(no  relation to Hideki), the Japanese shortstop signed by the New York Mets
before  the 2004 season, will attract even more Japanese interest in the U.S.
game.

But after almost a year of negotiations, Japanese officials are still
resisting the American plan, and have enlisted the support of Korean baseball
commissioners. The debate has pushed the prospective date of the first 
tournament
back at least a year, to 2006.

Citing the huge baseball operations in their own countries (baseball is the
No. 1 sport in both Japan and South Korea), Nippon Professional Baseball and
the  Korean Baseball Organization have objected to MLB and the players'
association  organizing the competition. The Japanese organization's position
reflects the  concerns of the owners of the country's 12 professional baseball
teams,
who  unanimously turned down the proposal in July and again in September.

"At this point the MLB and [the players' association] have decided to host
an event that they will invite us to," says Michael Park, manager of baseball
operations at the Korean Baseball Organization. "We want more input than
that."

Japanese officials have suggested that an international body, such as the
IBAF, organize the proposed World Cup and decide how the revenue would be
distributed. The IBAF hasn't made any formal proposal to organize such an event,
but Miquel Orten, the federation's executive director, says he envisions a
competition that would be open to any of the IBAF's 113 member countries. Some
sort of regional qualifying tournaments might be necessary to whittle the field
  down to a manageable number for a championship round, along the lines of the
  World Cup soccer tournament.

Bob DuPuy, president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball,
says that while MLB and the players' association would agree to work with the
IBAF, they intend to host the event and take the lead in organizing it. If the
  IBAF or another third party took the lead, Mr. DuPuy says, it is highly
unlikely  that MLB would participate.

"Since probably more than two-thirds of the players in any such tournament
will be Major League Baseball players, both MLB and [the players' association]
have an enormous vested interest in any initial international tournament,"
Mr.  DuPuy says. "We fully intend to have a steering committee including [the
players' association], MLB, the IBAF, [Nippon Professional Baseball] and Korea.
  As the event evolves over time, and as the quality of baseball increases
world-wide, presumably the structure of the event will change. As an initial
matter, however, it is important that Major League Baseball and its players have
  a major role."

At the same time, Mr. DuPuy says it would be difficult to hold a World Cup
of baseball without Japan. So negotiations continue.

Details and Distractions

Scheduling is one of the issues still being worked out in those talks.
Nippon Professional Baseball officials are concerned that players from the
Japanese professional leagues who participate in the World Cup would have to 
miss
preseason exhibition games with their clubs. Also, the Japanese  organization is
in the midst of a major internal restructuring aimed at merging  the
country's two professional leagues into one. This, officials say, has taken 
attention
away from the MLB proposal.

"The issue isn't dead," says Nobby Ito, director of international relations
and baseball operations at Nippon Professional Baseball. "We're still going to
  try our hardest to reach an agreement with our American friends."

The Japanese group has proposed that it give MLB a final decision on the
first of November, allowing a reasonable amount of time to work out scheduling
conflicts and its restructuring.

MLB's Mr. DuPuy remains optimistic. "Getting 16 countries on the same page
about anything is bound to create obstacles," he says. "The good thing is that
there is no opposition to the concept."

'Just Business'

Robert Whiting, an author who has written extensively about Japanese
baseball, sees the arguments over the World Cup in the context of the long and 
often
tumultuous relationship between Japanese and American baseball.

The owners of Japanese baseball teams resent the Americans for recruiting
their best players, Mr. Whiting says. When local heroes begin playing for
American teams, fans wake up early to tune in to satellite broadcasts of MLB 
games
-- and ratings for the Japanese leagues' games fall significantly.

Ratings for the Tokyo Giants, for example, dropped to an all-time low last
year, after Hideki Matsui left the team to play for the Yankees. Meanwhile, in
October 2003, MLB signed a six-year, $275 million deal with Japanese
advertising  firm Dentsu to broadcast its games in Japan, the largest
international
broadcasting deal of any professional league.

"Japanese owners are using the World Cup as an excuse," Mr. Whiting says.
"It's a way for them to stand up to the big, bad major leaguers."

Mr. Ito, the Nippon Professional Baseball director of international
relations, reiterates that the Japanese owners "couldn't understand why the MLB 
and
[the players' association] would host such an event." While conceding that
"American baseball is the biggest tree" and that Americans planted the seed of
the sport in Japan, he adds: "But we're the second-biggest tree."

He plays down any bad feelings among his countrymen over Japanese stars
playing in the U.S. "They'll get to play with the best in the world," he says of
the players going to the U.S. "And when they retire, they'll come back to
Japan  and help make Japanese baseball even better."

Mr. Ito sees the wrangling over the World Cup in more practical terms. "The
World Cup issue is just business," he says. "We believe we'll eventually reach
  a  compromise."

The Yomiuri Shimbun has come out in favour of Rakuten I gather. We all know the
influence they have in NPB so it's probably a done thing. Question marks about
both
companies due to adult content on their web sites too apparently.

   --- Gene Newman <belinyoh@...> wrote:
> Marty Kuehnert is a friend of mine and I do hope Rakuten is selected.  He'd do
a
> fantastic job with them.
>
> Gene
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: SABRscouts@...
>   To: j-ball@yahoogroups.com
>   Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 3:29 AM
>   Subject: [j-ball] Livedoor or Rakuten?
>
>
>   Sure is peaceful in this forum..   These items caught my eye.
>
>   Tom O'Malley to manage Livedoor baseball team in Japan
>
>
http://www.canada.com/sports/baseball/story.html?id=ccbea338-00e1-4b6d-bdf9-c8fd\
bc36cddf
>
>
>   Kuehnert to head Rakuten team
>   http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getsp.pl5?sb20041006a1.htm
>
>   I'd appreciate it if those of you closer to these stories would keep the
rest of
> us informed on the developments regarding decisions on the new franchise.
>
>   Thanks.
>
>   Rod Nelson
>
>
>         Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>               ADVERTISEMENT
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>     a.. To visit your group on the web, go to:
>     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/j-ball/
>
>     b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>     j-ball-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>     c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>





___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW Yahoo!
Messenger - all new features - even more fun!  http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

----- Original Message -----

From: SABRscouts@...

To: j-ball@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 12:46 AM

Subject: [j-ball] A World Cup for baseball? It isn't as easy as it sounds

A World Cup for baseball? It isn't as easy as it sounds
By AMY  CHOZICK
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 18, 2004

During the seventh-inning stretch at Seattle Mariners home games, a steady 
stream of baseball fans line up at the Intentional Wok, a concession stand 
selling Japanese food. Paul Owen says he doesn't mind waiting a while for an 
Ichi-Roll, the albacore tuna sushi roll named after the team's Japanese right 
fielder, Ichiro Suzuki.

Mr. Owen, a longtime holder of Mariners season tickets, says he's grateful 
for the Japanese influence, and not just on the cuisine. "Ichiro is the best 
player we've got," says the 38-year-old marketing executive.

Indeed, the Mariners star, who this year broke the major-league record for 
hits in a single season, is one of the best players in all of baseball  and  a
fitting symbol of the internationalization of the game in America. On opening 
day of this season, more than 27% of all major-league players and almost half
of  all minor leaguers in the U.S. were foreign-born.

Those kinds of numbers have also helped raise the profile of Major League 
Baseball around the world. Panama, for instance, has surpassed the U.S. as 
having the highest share of television sets tuned into the World Series for  three
of the past five years; last year an average of 35% of viewers in Panama 
watched the games, compared with 20% in the U.S., according to MLB figures. In 
Japan, meanwhile, ratings for the 2003 All-Star Game were higher than in the 
U.S.

To build on those trends -- and the marketing potential they imply -- MLB 
officials and the Major League Baseball Players' Association have proposed a 
tournament of 16 national teams, which has been unofficially dubbed the World 
Cup, to be held every four years, just like the international soccer
competition  of the same name. "If we can combine people's passion for baseball with
their  passion for their flag, then the game will truly be international," says
Paul  Archey, senior vice president of MLB  International.

The potential appeal to fans is enormous: Sportswriters have rhapsodized 
about the prospect of watching confrontations like Dominican pitching ace Pedro 
Martinez of the Boston Red Sox facing American slugger Barry Bonds of the San 
Francisco Giants in a game where they would be wearing the uniforms of their 
respective countries. Celebrated teammates like Panamanian pitcher Mariano 
Rivera and Puerto Rican catcher Jorge Posada of the New York Yankees might play
against each other. When the proposal was made, hopes ran high that the
first  tournament could be held next year.

But for all the financial and athletic attraction of such a competition, 
pulling together an international tournament is proving to be tougher than might 
be expected. Some of the problems are simply logistics: for instance timing
the  games so they don't interfere with the play of professional leagues is
crucial,  because only then will the world's best players be available. The
biggest  problem, though, is a more fundamental one: Baseball may be the most
American of  games, but in reacting to the American proposal, officials from Japan
and South  Korea say they want more of a voice in how any competition is run,
and in how  the revenue is distributed.

MLB's 'Vested Interest'

The American plan, broached last November, is to have the U.S. host a 
competition with 16 national teams, including one from the U.S., to be played 
sometime in March. Although it hasn't been decided exactly which countries would 
be invited, the list is likely to include Japan, South Korea, Canada, Taiwan, 
the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico, Italy, the 
Netherlands, Australia and Cuba.

Under the proposal, 53% of the revenue from the tournament would go to MLB, 
the players' association, professional leagues from other participating 
countries, and the International Baseball Federation, or IBAF, in Lausanne, 
Switzerland, a governing body recognized by the International Olympic Committee. 
Details on how that money would be divided haven't been worked out. The 
remaining revenue would be used for prize money.

MLB officials first approached their Japanese counterparts with the plan. 
One reason, says MLB International's Mr. Archey, is that there is greater 
potential for scheduling conflicts with the Japanese professional leagues than 
with most other countries' leagues. But the Americans also consider Japanese 
baseball to be the strongest organization outside the U.S., and Japan is the 
biggest source of revenue internationally for Major League Baseball.

MLB took in $60 million in revenue from Japan in 2003, more than all other 
countries combined outside the U.S. Last year, one out of every six households 
in Japan watched the first game of the World Series between the Florida
Marlins  and the Yankees, in Japanese outfielder Hideki Matsui's first year with
the New  York team. MLB opened a Tokyo office last year and says Kazuo Matsui
(no  relation to Hideki), the Japanese shortstop signed by the New York Mets
before  the 2004 season, will attract even more Japanese interest in the U.S. 
game.

But after almost a year of negotiations, Japanese officials are still 
resisting the American plan, and have enlisted the support of Korean baseball 
commissioners. The debate has pushed the prospective date of the first  tournament
back at least a year, to 2006.

Citing the huge baseball operations in their own countries (baseball is the 
No. 1 sport in both Japan and South Korea), Nippon Professional Baseball and
the  Korean Baseball Organization have objected to MLB and the players'
association  organizing the competition. The Japanese organization's position
reflects the  concerns of the owners of the country's 12 professional baseball teams,
who  unanimously turned down the proposal in July and again in September.

"At this point the MLB and [the players' association] have decided to host 
an event that they will invite us to," says Michael Park, manager of baseball 
operations at the Korean Baseball Organization. "We want more input than 
that."

Japanese officials have suggested that an international body, such as the 
IBAF, organize the proposed World Cup and decide how the revenue would be 
distributed. The IBAF hasn't made any formal proposal to organize such an event, 
but Miquel Orten, the federation's executive director, says he envisions a 
competition that would be open to any of the IBAF's 113 member countries. Some 
sort of regional qualifying tournaments might be necessary to whittle the field
down to a manageable number for a championship round, along the lines of the
World Cup soccer tournament.

Bob DuPuy, president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball, 
says that while MLB and the players' association would agree to work with the 
IBAF, they intend to host the event and take the lead in organizing it. If the
IBAF or another third party took the lead, Mr. DuPuy says, it is highly
unlikely  that MLB would participate.

"Since probably more than two-thirds of the players in any such tournament 
will be Major League Baseball players, both MLB and [the players' association] 
have an enormous vested interest in any initial international tournament,"
Mr.  DuPuy says. "We fully intend to have a steering committee including [the 
players' association], MLB, the IBAF, [Nippon Professional Baseball] and Korea.
As the event evolves over time, and as the quality of baseball increases 
world-wide, presumably the structure of the event will change. As an initial 
matter, however, it is important that Major League Baseball and its players have
a major role."

At the same time, Mr. DuPuy says it would be difficult to hold a World Cup 
of baseball without Japan. So negotiations continue.

Details and Distractions

Scheduling is one of the issues still being worked out in those talks. 
Nippon Professional Baseball officials are concerned that players from the 
Japanese professional leagues who participate in the World Cup would have to  miss
preseason exhibition games with their clubs. Also, the Japanese  organization is
in the midst of a major internal restructuring aimed at merging  the
country's two professional leagues into one. This, officials say, has taken  attention
away from the MLB proposal.

"The issue isn't dead," says Nobby Ito, director of international relations 
and baseball operations at Nippon Professional Baseball. "We're still going to
try our hardest to reach an agreement with our American friends."

The Japanese group has proposed that it give MLB a final decision on the 
first of November, allowing a reasonable amount of time to work out scheduling 
conflicts and its restructuring.

MLB's Mr. DuPuy remains optimistic. "Getting 16 countries on the same page 
about anything is bound to create obstacles," he says. "The good thing is that 
there is no opposition to the concept."

'Just Business'

Robert Whiting, an author who has written extensively about Japanese 
baseball, sees the arguments over the World Cup in the context of the long and  often
tumultuous relationship between Japanese and American baseball.

The owners of Japanese baseball teams resent the Americans for recruiting 
their best players, Mr. Whiting says. When local heroes begin playing for 
American teams, fans wake up early to tune in to satellite broadcasts of MLB  games
-- and ratings for the Japanese leagues' games fall significantly.

Ratings for the Tokyo Giants, for example, dropped to an all-time low last 
year, after Hideki Matsui left the team to play for the Yankees. Meanwhile, in 
October 2003, MLB signed a six-year, $275 million deal with Japanese
advertising  firm Dentsu to broadcast its games in Japan, the largest international 
broadcasting deal of any professional league.

"Japanese owners are using the World Cup as an excuse," Mr. Whiting says. 
"It's a way for them to stand up to the big, bad major leaguers."

Mr. Ito, the Nippon Professional Baseball director of international 
relations, reiterates that the Japanese owners "couldn't understand why the MLB  and
[the players' association] would host such an event." While conceding that 
"American baseball is the biggest tree" and that Americans planted the seed of 
the sport in Japan, he adds: "But we're the second-biggest tree."

He plays down any bad feelings among his countrymen over Japanese stars 
playing in the U.S. "They'll get to play with the best in the world," he says of 
the players going to the U.S. "And when they retire, they'll come back to
Japan  and help make Japanese baseball even better."

Mr. Ito sees the wrangling over the World Cup in more practical terms. "The 
World Cup issue is just business," he says. "We believe we'll eventually reach
a  compromise."

_http://www.asahi.com/english/sports/TKY200410230145.html_
(http://www.asahi.com/english/sports/TKY200410230145.html)

2 team owners to resign in scandal
The Asahi  Shimbun

Two baseball team owners and a president became the  latest casualties in the
illicit drive to sign a star university pitcher.

Yokohama BayStars owner Yukio Sunahara and Hanshin Tigers owner Shunjiro
Kuma said Friday they would resign to take responsibility for dubious payments
made to Yasuhiro Ichiba, one of the top prospects for this fall's baseball
draft.

Katsuyoshi Nozaki, president of the Tigers, also said he would  step down.

(For the full story, refer to the above link)


Rod Nelson

WagerWeb (WagerWeb.com)
Zapote, Costa Rica 00000
Tel: 1.866.843.2489

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Phillies New Manager?

WagerWeb.com POSTS ODDS ON: "WHO WILL TAKE OVER FOR LARRY BOWA AS
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES' MANAGER FOR THE 2005 MLB SEASON?"

(Zapote, Costa Rica, 13 October 2004)-The sad verdict is in! Lovable
players' Manager, Larry Bowa, is out as Phillies' manager after a
truly disappointing season in Philadelphia.

The fans and the management of the team had very high expectations
for the club, which ended up in 2nd place in the NL East with an 86-
76 record, ten games behind division winner, Atlanta. For much of the
early season the Phillies led the NL East and many even had then
penciled in as division champs...way too early it appears.

Bowa was fired as soon as the season ended, and the Phillies have
begun their search for a new skipper. Whoever takes over the job will
still have a tremendously talented team to manage, and one that will
most likely be favored to win the division next year...as many picked
them to do this season. The question is this; will the Phillies go
for a younger, inexperienced manager, or go for a home run and sign
an experienced manager who might not be nearly as much a players'
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"The Phillies really had a disappointing season and a change at the
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considered are longtime Phillies' Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt, as
well as fired Mets' Manager, Art Howe. The biggest surprise is that
the embattled Hall of Famer, Pete Rose, who has talked about his
hopes of managing in MLB, is being mentioned as a possible candidate."

If the Phillies go the Rose route, it is a given that they would
create much more controversy than they need after the season they
just finished. What many forget is that Rose was a pretty good
manager in Cincinnati and would be able to connect with the players,
in both good times and bad, based on what Rose has gone through since
being banned from baseball for breaking MLB's no betting rule. For
Rose to get the managing job, MLB Commissioner, Bud Selig, would have
to allow him back in baseball, and that is another sticky proposition.

Other names being mentioned are current Cubs' Manager, Dusty Baker,
former Mets' Manager, Bobby Valentine, and current Tampa Devil Rays'
Manager, Lou Pinella.

WAGERWEB.COM IS PLEASED TO RELEASE ODDS ON: "WHO WILL BE THE
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES' MANAGER FOR THE 2005 MLB SEASON TAKING OVER
FOR THE FIRED LARRY BOWA?"

PHILLIES' MANAGER IN 2005 WILL BE:

Don Baylor 1:2 -$200
Charlie Manuel 2:1 +$200
Grady Little 2:1 +$200
Jim Fregosi 3:1 +$300
Mike Hargrove 4:1 +$400
Davey Johnson 6:1 +$600
Jim Leyland 6:1 +$600
Tom Kelly 6:1 +$600
Jim Tracy 8:1 +$800
John Russell 8:1 +$800
Marc Bombard 8:1 +$800
Art Howe 10:1 +$1000
Bobby Valentine 10:1 +$1000
Jimy Williams 10:1 +$1000
Buddy Bell 12:1 +$1200
Cito Gaston 12:1 +$1200
Willie Randolph 15:1 +$1500
Juan Samuel 15:1 +$1500
Mike Schmidt 25:1 +$2500
Steve Carlton 50:1 +$5000
Pete Rose 75:1 +$7500
Lenny Dykstra 100:1 +$10000
Greg Luzinski 150:1 +$15000
MItch Williams 200:1 +$20000
Field 1:6 -$600

Odds Explanation:
*  A $100 wager on Mitch Williams at 200:1 to be named New General
will WIN $20,000 if he is chosen.
* The favorite at the current time is Don Baylor.  Players need to
lay $200 to win $100 if they choose Don Baylor.
*Field Wager includes any manager not listed.

About WagerWeb.com

WagerWeb is a privately held, offshore, online, gaming company. It is
fully licensed and is located in beautiful San Jose, Costa Rica, a
major center of online gaming. It got into the business in a very
deliberate and independent way. Nine years ago, several staffers, now
management of WagerWeb, got together to review the state of the
online gambling industry. They quickly concluded that there was
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Behind the action and the play offered by WagerWeb is a knowledgeable
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Dave Johnson, CEO and Senior Odds Maker, is available by phone or
email and will grant interviews upon request. Interested parties
should call or email the contact information below to set up a
scheduled interview through the Communications Director.

Contact: Rebeca Williams
Communications Director
WagerWeb (www.WagerWeb.com)
1.866.843.2489
pressrelease@...

_http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1917367_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1917367)

Saturday, November 6, 2004
Japanese report agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
ESPN.com  news services

TOKYO -- The first World Cup of baseball will be held in March 2006,
Japanese baseball officials told the Japan Times, following meetings involving
American, Japanese and Korean officials.

Agreement was reportedly reached following a meeting here Friday that
included Bob DuPuy, president and chief operating officer of Major League 
Baseball,
Japanese commissioner Yasuchika Negoro and Park Yong Oh, commissioner  of the
Korean Baseball Organization.

No comment was forthcoming from DuPuy.

Major League Baseball had proposed holding the inaugural World Cup with 16
countries in March 2005, but Japan and South Korea wanted greater say in
organizing the tournament and it was delayed.

The Americans later relented, according to the Japanese newspaper, and
agreed to set up an organizing committee and let Japan play a leadership role in
the Asian round of the tournament.

Working-level talks to organize the tournament will be held in New York in
December, according to the paper, with an official announcement expected in the
  spring.

----- Original Message -----

From: Stuart Hughes

To: j-ball@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 5:46 PM

Subject: [j-ball] Japanese Baseball stats

Hi

 

I don’t know if any of you are aware of the Diamond Mind baseball game but I’m looking to create a database of Japanese baseball players based on their career stats for inclusion.

 

I have purchased a book I’ve been recommended, “Japanese Baseball: A Statistical Handbook” by Daniel E Johnson.  It contains batting and pitching stats for all Batting Championship and Earned Run Average Championship qualifiers for the seasons 1936-1997, plus all-time records, and a list of some 120 players who have been elected into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

 

Unfortunately the book does not list fielding stats or playing position and does not really help with some of the subjective stats.

 

I would be very interested in help and advice on where I can find the following: -

 

Fielding stats for Japanese players, both career and season by season

Career Total Batting stats for Japanese players

Career Total Pitching stats for Japanese players

Positions played stats for Japanese players

Photos of Japanese players

 

I look forward to hearing from anyone who can help or point me in the right direction.

 

 

Stuart Hughes

Telephone: 01773 880428

Mobile: 07736 165291

www.fodfbl.co.uk

 

I am almost finished with a set of greates players modeled after the Biamond
Mind MLB
Greatest Players Disk.  There is a good amount of data available free on the Web
if you
look: for starters try these sites:

http://www.japanesebaseball.com/players/index.jsp
http://www.inter.co.jp/Baseball/player/register/great/index.html
http://www.robsjapanesecards.com/
http://ww1.baywell.ne.jp/fpweb/drlatham/site/sitemap.htm
http://baseballguru.com/

On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 23:46:54 -0000, Stuart Hughes wrote:

>
>
>I dont know if any of you are aware of the Diamond Mind baseball game but Im
looking
to create a database of Japanese baseball players based on their career stats
for
inclusion.







Best Regards,

Ed Mortimer



       "When we remember that we are all mad,
  the mysteries disappear and life stands explained."

                -- Samuel Clemens --

----- Original Message -----

From: Stuart Hughes

To: j-ball@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 4:30 AM

Subject: [j-ball] Re: Japanese Baseball stats

Gene wrote: “ I do the same thing for a great old game, the Cadaco All Star Baseball Game, originally known as Ethan All Star Baseball Game.  Assuming you read Japanese, the most useful book for your purpose is "The Official Baseball Encyclopedia 2004".  It's published by Baseball Magazine-sha and, at 16,000 Yen, is NOT cheap.  But it has everything you'd need EXCEPT fielding stats and photos.  Fortunately for me, the Cadaco game doesn't need fielding data.  It does have season-by-season and career totals, both pitching and hitting.  It does have positions played.  I hope this has been helpful.”

 

Thanks Gene.  Unfortunately I don’t read Japanese.  Do you have the stats you’ve used available in Excel by any chance or would you ber able to export them from Cadaco into Excel?

 

Any other possible sources?

 

Stuart Hughes

Telephone: 01773 880428

Mobile: 07736 165291

www.fodfbl.co.uk

 

First time Posting. Does any one know who are the starting and bench
lineup for the Japanese all-stars. Or are the Major leaguers playing
several Japanese Teams. I look for current stats so i can create
players fot my playstation 1997 triple play baseball game. where you
can make and edit the players you make. Why doesn't MLB Promote and
air these games on American Televison. Last question will they ever
make a playstation game where you can Have and built Japanese
Statiums so i can built them in my game. Roberto

cruzcontrl65 wrote:

> First time Posting. Does any one know who are the starting and bench
> lineup for the Japanese all-stars. Or are the Major leaguers playing
> several Japanese Teams.

Your questions related to who's playing are pretty much answered here:

http://www.japanesebaseball.com/forum/thread.jsp?forum=33&thread=5094

One person also mentioned that MLB.com has Internet Radio of the games
available both live and archived.

Note, JapaneseBaseball.com is *not* a video game site, so you'll have to
look elsewhere for PlayStation help.  Questions about players and
stadiums are welcome, preferably after you've done a little research/
searching (search link is at the bottom of each page) to see if your
question has already been asked and answered.

Hope this helps.

--
Michael Westbay
Work: Beacon-IT http://www.beacon-it.co.jp/
Home:           http://www1.seaple.icc.ne.jp/westbay/
Commentary:     http://www.japanesebaseball.com/forum/
Public Key:     http://www1.seaple.icc.ne.jp/westbay/public.gpgkey

I too am creating a Diamond Mind disk of all-time Japanese players
using their career stats, and would add one more source to Ed's
excellent list:

http://www.japanbaseballdaily.com/DataWarehouse.html

and also mention that I have fielding data in an excel file for 1992-
2002.

THANKS,
Kevin

--- In j-ball@yahoogroups.com, "Edward R. Mortimer" <emortimer@w...>
wrote:
>
> I am almost finished with a set of greates players modeled after
the Biamond Mind MLB
> Greatest Players Disk.  There is a good amount of data available
free on the Web if you
> look: for starters try these sites:
>
> http://www.japanesebaseball.com/players/index.jsp
> http://www.inter.co.jp/Baseball/player/register/great/index.html
> http://www.robsjapanesecards.com/
> http://ww1.baywell.ne.jp/fpweb/drlatham/site/sitemap.htm
> http://baseballguru.com/
>
> On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 23:46:54 -0000, Stuart Hughes wrote:
>
> >
> >
> >I dont know if any of you are aware of the Diamond Mind baseball
game but Im looking
> to create a database of Japanese baseball players based on their
career stats for
> inclusion.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Ed Mortimer
>
>
>
>       "When we remember that we are all mad,
>  the mysteries disappear and life stands explained."
>
>                -- Samuel Clemens --

Hi
look at www.robsjapanesecards.com
new players are announced the 1-2nd week in January.  Induction is at
the All-star game in July
rob fitts

Stuart Hughes wrote:

> Hi
>
>
>
> I have a list of Japanese players inducted into the Japanese Hall of
> Fame up to and including 1997.
>
>
>
> Can anybody provide me details of the players inducted from 1998 and
> onwards please?
>
>
>
> Also, what time of the year do Japan decide and conduct their
> induction ceremony?
>
>
>
> Many thanks.
>
>
>
> Stuart Hughes
>
> Telephone: 01773 880428
>
> Mobile: 07736 165291
>
> www.fodfbl.co.uk <http://www.fodfbl.co.uk>
>
>
>
>
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