Selig open to Japan vs US "World Series"

[HotTubMan]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AnegNnPoviTS1pwWbeMmJIEHU84F?slug=ap-japan-mlbseries&prov=ap&type=lgns

What do you think of the World Series champs of the US playing the Japan Series winners?

Will this eventually happen?

This could be interesting, but would the US players really care as much as the Japanese players?

I doubt the US players are willing to play after winning a World Series, but an exhibition game I would be interested in and could lead to bigger things.

On the other hand, if the WBC was taken more serious by the US we really don't need this type of thing.

Maybe we should have the World Series loser play them?

[Satyr3206]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AnegNnPoviTS1pwWbeMmJIEHU84F?slug=ap-japan-mlbseries&prov=ap&type=lgns

What do you think of the World Series champs of the US playing the Japan Series winners?

Will this eventually happen?

This could be interesting, but would the US players really care as much as the Japanese players?

I doubt the US players are willing to play after winning a World Series, but an exhibition game I would be interested in and could lead to bigger things.

On the other hand, if the WBC was taken more serious by the US we really don't need this type of thing.

Maybe we should have the World Series loser play them?

Not real interested. Another shot at the globalization of the game that probably won't go over very well with the players.

[RShack]

Before ballplayers were rich, sometimes the WS team would go over there and tour around playing Japanese teams, or sometimes it was an team of miscellaneous all-stars. It wasn't an officlial their-champ vs. our-champ kind of thing, but still. The '71 Orioles went over after the WS. After the '83 Orioles won the WS, they agreed to go to Japan, but not until after the '84 season. The plan was to tour around and play various teams for a total of 15 games, including a 5-game series with the Japanese champs. The Royals had done it a few years before after they went to the WS (but lost). The idea of our guys going over there isn't new, it just got lost when ballplayers got rich and didn't need the extra money anymore.

[Avsfan]

Question:

Think Cashman or Steinbrenner would risk starting CC against Japan in the GLOBAL WS?

:laughlol:

[Birds of B'more]

Selig only needs to look back at the way the O's mailed it in for the game vs Cuba at OPACY back in 1999. And that was just a 1-game exhibition in their home park that only "robbed" them on one off day. If Bud thinks MLB players are going to be any more enthused about flying to the other side of the globe and back to play a series against a Japanese team after the season is over....well, I'd say he is extremely out of touch with the prevailing opinions of today's MLB player.

[charliec107]

I love this idea. I think it should be a 3 game series. First game in the USA, second and third in Japan. Alternate host country every year. I three game series is ideal because there will be only one long flight between games, and no starter will have to pitch more than one game. I do think most MLB teams could beat any Japanese team, but a three game series gives a possible upset hope for the Japanese team, leading to some excitement.

Maybe this series would increase cooperation between the MLB and Japan. Lessen the 10 year wait for Japanese players to become free agents. With more Japanese players coming to MLB, some MLB players may want to play in Japan where they will start. This may raise the level of play in a Japanese league.

[Arthur_Bryant]

Question:

Think Cashman or Steinbrenner would risk starting CC against Japan in the GLOBAL WS?

:laughlol:

Actually, yes, if the money was right.

Bear in mind, the World Series is just an exhibition series that people decided to consider important.

[BRob51]

Absolutely. Obviously, you don't want to ride your ace after 40ish starts in the regular season/post season, but it'd be a fun idea. Didn't they send an all-star team there two or three years ago with David Wright and Ryan Howard? I think it was after the Chisox won the WS in 05...

[SteveA]

Before ballplayers were rich, sometimes the WS team would go over there and tour around playing Japanese teams, or sometimes it was an team of miscellaneous all-stars. It wasn't an officlial their-champ vs. our-champ kind of thing, but still. The '71 Orioles went over after the WS. After the '83 Orioles won the WS, they agreed to go to Japan, but not until after the '84 season. The plan was to tour around and play various teams for a total of 15 games, including a 5-game series with the Japanese champs. The Royals had done it a few years before after they went to the WS (but lost). The idea of our guys going over there isn't new, it just got lost when ballplayers got rich and didn't need the extra money anymore.

As I recall, Jon Miller actually accompanied the Orioles on that 1984 trip and they broadcast some fo the games back to hte US. I remember the novelty of listening to baseball in November, and Miller did a great job handling the Japanese names and describing the Japanese game.

Now of course, baseball in November is the norm.

[Trinidad]

As another poster noted, the problem is with the starting pitchers. The way these high-priced arms are coddled nowadays, many teams would never risk letting their SP have 40+ starts throughout the year. They would end up sending scrub pitchers to this series and we (the US) would end up getting embarrassed by getting beat.

[byrdz]

Well the "World Series" would be appropriately named in this case.