Japan's baseball teams to curb talent drain with ban

Ha ha cool! So what's it gonna be young man, 9 of your best baseball years in an inferior league, or risk it all to play with the best?! Take it or leave it pal, this is Japan where we really don't like being shown we're not the best, and lose in revenue terms as a result.

yup. The Japanese mentality in a nutshell. Play by our rules or you will be excluded from the group. Im pretty sure this rule wouldnt stand up in the court of law, and I hope it's challenged soon.

An infringement of employment law ? If a Japanese national wanted to work for an overseas company after university, it would be illegal for the Japanese government to place a 2 year employment ban on his return to Japan. Tazawa can sue NPB for restraint of trade. 2 years x whatever he would have earned in Japan I imagine.

Agree with all above.

Since when does playing at an amateur level automatically tie you to a professional league?

This is the reason why baseball admin. here generally stinks - Too much self professed power in the hands of a few.

And the Giants Watanabe is the king pin. He enforced this.

Bullying at it's finest.

An infringement of employment law ? If a Japanese national wanted to work for an overseas company after university, it would be illegal for the Japanese government to place a 2 year employment ban on his return to Japan. Tazawa can sue NPB for restraint of trade. 2 years x whatever he would have earned in Japan I imagine.

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.

why should players be penalized for wanting to play in the best leagues? i think it is a crying shame.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Hopefully Japanese players understand who is really important. The fans of Japan.

Looks kind of counter productive...why come back and play in Japan at all? Don't think this idea was thought through very well...

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.

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.

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.

I heartily agree with you, JohnBecker. We don't need to replace Japanese baseball with MLB, thank you.

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...

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...

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?