Japan commissioner warns against WBC boycott

“I think this is the final phase,” said Kato. “We will make a sincere effort and give it our best shot.”

Yeah right......"sincere effort", that's phrase is overly abused here.

More power to the players! It's more than about time that the players union push to get more money for the entertainment they provide. Hopefully it will spill over as well into how the Professional Japanese baseball teams are run as well.

Better yet, boycott the tournament totally and force Japan to use University players and minor league players!

This man is kidding himelf. Does he think that the players will flip after voting only last month to boycott unless their grievance were heard? (Maybe I am kidding myself....)

Anyway, for the two-time champs to get less than half what the Americans get (and I am American!), is shameful. That they then have to split it with the ownership groups at a presumably inferior rate is unacceptable. The commish says they are "duty-bound" to play? Fine, grab a glove and head over to first, Mr. Kato. Let's see how well you uphold the honor of Japan.

Bottom line, these guys are going to have to be fairly compensated for the extra effort that they make above and beyond their regular league duties. The honor of playing for Japan just isn't going to cut it.

WBC is a charade any way designed to generate MLB interest in Asia. It means little until the best of the best play and major league clubs aren't keen on letting their expensive players play.

Anyway, for the two-time champs to get less than half what the Americans get (and I am American!), is shameful.

Supply and demand at work, the Yank's don't care about WBC so need cash to turn up. Japanese players, it's about winning the thing for national pride.

Anyway, for the two-time champs to get less than half what the Americans get (and I am American!)

Not Americans. M-L-B

MLB and its players reportedly received 33% of the total revenue and consist of Americans, Latinos, Canadians, Asians, Europeans, etc. What do ya expect? MLB and its players make up more than half of the WBC participants. (Akin to the largest money from the FIFA World Cup goes back to UEFA since UEFA is where most top players play.)

The JPBPA doesn't believe Japan is getting back what it put in. More than half of the sponsorship revenue for the WBC comes from Japanese companies. Yet, 66 percent of the profits have gone to the MLB and its MLB player's association with just 13 percent going to Japan.

the japanese players get almost nothing considering their risk of injury. more power to'em.

For the WBC to truly succeed it needs support from MLB, and the MLB Players Union as well.

It's a great idea, but scheduling is a huge problem when multi-millionaire players are involved their livelihood takes precedence over a tournament that is relatively new and added as an after-thought to try to compete with other "world-cup" sporting events.

Yet, 66 percent of the profits have gone to the MLB and its MLB player's association

Keep in mind though that the players association represents players from more countries, including Japanese major leaguer's as well, than just Japan. MLB is the big dog when it comes to baseball and rightly should get the lions share of the proceeds as I see it.

28 countries are represented in the tournament, and at 13% of the profits Japan is getting a whole heck of a lot more than let's say a country like South Africa or Israel.

Cry me a river for all these OVER PAID baseball cry babies from ALL the countries...........

Like ANY of them NEED more $$$ the greedy SOBs all of them!

The WORLD CHAMPOINSHIP is ALREADY OVER, it was the Little League World Series, Japan already won!

Leave the worlds cry baby pros at home, WE DONT NEED YA!

Japanese baseball players would not have to participate in the WBC because America would not field the really best players and did not field the best players in 2006 and 2009 because they have regular MLB season and do not want be wounded before MLB starts (as America said so). It seems that America just wants to make lots of money as host of WBC even if America wins or loses.

“We should compete,” he told reporters, warning that a boycott would be frowned on in Japan after last year’s deadly tsunami and nuclear crisis.

“Apart from helping with re-energise the country after the disaster, I believe people want to see us play.”

Well there it is. 3/11 has officially become a meaningless blip in Japanese history. It's now used as either a tool for the national victimhood industry, or in this case a tool for shaming someone.

The JPBPA doesn't believe Japan is getting back what it put in. More than half of the sponsorship revenue for the WBC comes from Japanese companies.

Source?

Yet, that's like saying since U.S. sponsors and television rights holders provide the bulk of IOC revenues, the USOC gets to keep 12.75% of the billions of dollars NBC pays to the IOC for U.S. broadcast rights and 20% from the billions more the IOC receives from worldwide exclusive sponsorship deals with companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Visa.

Yet, 66 percent of the profits have gone to the MLB and its MLB player's association with just 13 percent going to Japan.

The article states: "Major League Baseball and its players reportedly received 33% of the total revenue from the 2009 WBC, while Japan got just 13%."

The WORLD CHAMPOINSHIP is ALREADY OVER, it was the Little League World Series,

A 6-inning game with unlimited substitutions is not ultimate baseball. Do ya wanna crown the FIFA U-16 played in 30-minute halves too?

Yet, 66 percent of the profits have gone to the MLB and its MLB player's association with just 13 percent going to Japan.

The article states: "Major League Baseball and its players reportedly received 33% of the total revenue from the 2009 WBC, while Japan got just 13%." Revenue and profits are different things.

Supply and demand at work, the Yank's don't care about WBC so need cash to turn up. Japanese players, it's about winning the thing for national pride.

Really? You have to be kidding.

If it's " about winning the thing for national pride", why this:

The players voted last month to snub the tournament, disgruntled with their share of revenue from the competition Japan won in 2006 and again in 2009.

Yeah. Of course it's about national pride...

If it's " about winning the thing for national pride", why this:

well then why this?

“We should compete,” he told reporters, warning that a boycott would be frowned on in Japan after last year’s deadly tsunami and nuclear crisis.

gotta be pride that cheers up a nation

well then why this?

“We should compete,” he told reporters, warning that a boycott would be frowned on in Japan after last year’s deadly tsunami and nuclear crisis.

gotta be pride that cheers up a nation

No. If it was, they wouldn't be whining about not getting "enough" money.

And, I'm sick and tired of people using the 3.11 earthquake/tsunami/nuclear accident for their own selfish gain. How much longer are people going to keep using the whole "feel sorry for us because we had a triple disaster" garbage? It's disrespectful of the people who died to use them for an excuse for pity and special treatment. Stop using it as a tool or an excuse.

Also, WHY would it "be frowned on in Japan after last year’s deadly tsunami and nuclear crisis."? It wouldn't be frowned on, because they are COMPLETELY un-related!

gotta be pride that cheers up a nation

Also, is the nation depressed? Everything is going on a it always has here in Tokyo. I've never seen anyone moping about saying they are so sad because there was a disaster over a year ago!

Why is it in the USA ?Why not reward the Champion with hosting rights and the resultant dollars ?That might force the MLB into greater competitiveness.

If the WBC schedule should be adjusted to November, or after the MLB World Series, then there would be more competitive series for all countries involved. In March, these players have obligations for a new season in their respective MLB or Japanese league team and they do not want to get hurt during spring training. However, if they change the schedule to early fall, they will be more focused and relax in playing for the country.