Tokyo-based Internet services company Rakuten made a formal application yesterday to Japan professional baseball to create a new team.
Rakuten president Hiroshi Mikitani submitted a formal application at the Japanese baseball commissioners' office Friday afternoon, said Kunio Shimoda, director of public relations at Nippon Professional Baseball.
Since the merger of the Pacific League's Kintetsu Buffaloes and Orix BlueWave was approved by representatives of Japan's 12 professional teams, Rakuten became the second Internet services company that has applied to enter a new team in Japan's pro leagues.
Earlier this month, Livedoor president Takafumi Horie applied to create a team that would play out of Miyagi Stadium in the northeastern Japanese city of Sendai. On Wednesday, Mikitani said he also wanted to put a new team in Sendai.
Following the merger of the Kintetsu Buffaloes and Orix BlueWave, Japan's players insisted that a new team be allowed to form next season to create a balance of teams and avoid job losses. Management countered that the earliest a new team could enter Japan professional baseball would be after the 2005 season.
On Sept. 11-12, the players staged the first strike in the 70-history of Japanese professional baseball in opposition to the merger. A total of 12 games were wiped out that weekend.
Japan's baseball players averted a second strike Thursday after agreeing with management that a new team be allowed to join baseball next season, opening the door for companies like Rakuten and Livedoor.
If an application by Livedoor or Rakuten was approved, it would restore the Pacific League to six teams for the 2005 season.
Japan's baseball players averted a second strike Thursday after agreeing in principal with management that a new team will be allowed to join Japanese professional baseball next season.
The players have agreed not to stage a second strike this weekend after representatives of Japan's professional teams softened their stance on the entry of new teams into Japan's pro leagues.
Following the merger of the Pacific League's Kintetsu Buffaloes and Orix BlueWave, Japan's players insisted that a new team be allowed to enter Japan's pro leagues next season.
Management, however, countered that the earliest a new team could enter Japan professional baseball would be after the 2005 season.
"In today's negotiations, management promised they will deal with a number of issues to work toward the development of baseball," said Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta, the head of the players' association.
In Thursday's negotiations, it was agreed by both sides that efforts would be made toward having 12 teams next season, instead of five teams in the Pacific League and six in Central League.
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
CUNNINGHAM CONNECTS: In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons snapped their record 15-game playoff losing streak by beating the Knicks to level their series at 1-1 Kawhi Leonard on Monday scored 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting as the Los Angeles Clippers evened their first-round NBA Playoffs series against the Nuggets with a 105-102 win in Denver. “It feels like he didn’t miss a shot,” James Harden said. “His shot-making ability is elite.” Good thing, too, because his teammates were a combined 26 of 66 for a 39 percent clip. “I made shots tonight,” Leonard said. “I just keep playing, try to stay in the zone no matter if I’m making or missing shots.” The fifth-seeded Clippers needed every bit of his brilliance to snatch the homecourt advantage in the series
RSS