Tucson waiting for player-union approval for Japanese spring training (Ballpark Digest)

Hmmm... the triumphant return of Matt Murton???

over 1 year ago ballhawk 17 comments 0 recs |

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Here's the money paragraph...

Though nothing has been firmed, it’s looking good for Nippon Professional Baseball teams to be training at Tucson in 2011. MLB has unofficially given its approval to the efforts by the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority to work out a deal where multiple Japanese teams train at Tucson Electric Park and Hi Corbett Field and play games against MLB teams

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 4, 2010 10:36 PM CDT reply actions

Hope they like bus rides...

… because I don’t see any teams making the drive from the Valley.

by dmlichte on Oct 4, 2010 11:04 PM CDT up reply actions

If you know anything about Japanese Spring Training

The bus rides would be the nicest part of the day. Certainly better than yet another “1000 Fungo Drill.”

by Josh Timmers on Oct 4, 2010 11:14 PM CDT up reply actions

article mentions that while Pima County officials are hoping for a full slate of games in Tucson...

..the reality is probably only a limited number of games against MLB teams in there, and those would most likely be against SS from Rockies, WhiteSox and DBacks – teams that used to train in Tucson.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 4, 2010 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions

And realize that most of the games will be against other Japanese teams. That aside, I don’t see any teams, split squad or not, former Tucson teams or not, making the drive. I hope they’re not banking on drawing crowds. When I lived in Tucson I went to a few Sidewinders games (when they played the I-Cubs) and attendance was sparse.

by dmlichte on Oct 4, 2010 11:29 PM CDT up reply actions

why would MLB and the players union be involved if at least some games against MLB teams aren't going to happen?

If all it’s going to be is four Japanese teams in Tucson playing against each other, Pima County wouldn’t have to get MLB approval for that, would they?

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 4, 2010 11:40 PM CDT up reply actions

I wonder if...

… it’ll be mostly minor leaguers making the bus rides. Other than that, I don’t see any advantage for major league teams doing that, especially when they went out of their way to leave Tucson.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Oct 5, 2010 7:42 AM CDT up reply actions

Stick With Arizona Wildcats Baseball

That college baseball program has a lot of tradition, and the Wildcats actually play games that count in March.

"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Oct 5, 2010 9:19 AM CDT up reply actions

I assume that the NPB/MLB interleague games would generally take place in Phoenix.

The 4 NPB teams can play against each other in Tuscon, with maybe the occasional split-squad “bus team” of MLB minor leaguers making the trip.

MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown

by D98 on Oct 5, 2010 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions

That would make some sense...

… except having MLB teams come to Tucson to attract crowds would be kind of the point.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Oct 5, 2010 4:00 PM CDT up reply actions

I think that's why it'll probably be limited to the White Sox, DBacks and Rockies

Even if it’s only a split-squad, you can call it a goodwill gesture by those teams considering their recent training history in Tucson.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 5, 2010 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Probably so.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Oct 5, 2010 5:25 PM CDT up reply actions

I like the idea!

It would be cool to play pro Japanese teams. You can even get a good look at some future japanese mlb super stars.

"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." John Lennon
"My favorite food is Macaroni and Cheese, from the blue box." Geovany Soto

by Cubbiegoon on Oct 5, 2010 12:14 PM CDT reply actions

me too

"Well-behaved women seldom make History"---Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

by cooliogirl47 on Oct 5, 2010 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions

I like this idea, too.

Anything that strengthens ties between NPB and MLB, while reiterating and maintaining that MLB is the world’s “major” league, is a good thing. It’s like how Man U (minus their superstars) were just in town recently for a friendly against an MLS all-star team.

On the other hand, adding a “World Series Champ v. NPB Champ” in November each year for the “World Title”, as some occasionally speculate, would be a ridiculously bad idea.

In the spring, the leagues would mainly play against their league-mates, and then everyone gets 4-5 “interleague” games, which could be accommodated by adding more split-squad dates. Get Topps involved, too – a 64-card NPB subset would be easy enough to pull off.

MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown

by D98 on Oct 5, 2010 3:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Agree about the WSC vs. NPB series.

I don’t even like the World Baseball Classic.

"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." John Lennon
"My favorite food is Macaroni and Cheese, from the blue box." Geovany Soto

by Cubbiegoon on Oct 5, 2010 9:00 PM CDT up reply actions