http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4803999 TOKYO -- The United States and Japanese baseball champions could meet in a Global World Series, Japanese daily Nikkan Sports reported Thursday. Nippon Professional Baseball commissioner Ryozo Kato was quoted as saying his Major League Baseball counterpart, Bud Selig, had agreed the winners of the two countries' professional leagues should play each other. "I was surprised, Mr. Selig said he wants to realize the plan before his tenure ends," Kato told Nikkan Sports. Selig is set to retire in 2012. When he took office in 2008, Kato -- a former Japanese ambassador to the United States -- said one of his goals was an international series between the world's two biggest baseball nations. Officials of Major League Baseball and the players' association said Thursday there had been no discussion of such a plan. An agreement between management and the union would be necessary. Japan is the two-time defending champion of the World Baseball Classic, a tournament of national teams that includes professional players from leagues around the world that is played during spring training. The next WBC will be played in 2013.
I'd be much more in favor of this than the WBC. Granted, people would care much less, especially the American champs, but at least it wouldn't affect the players going into the season. I completely despise the WBC. Just in case you were wondering. Play that shit in November in the southern hemisphere or not at all.
Hate the WBC, couldn't care less about this. It would prove absolutely nothing, and (of course) is only designed to make money for the leagues involved. The only legitimate way to have true world tournament is to do it the way the World Cup does - years of year-round qualifying, with leagues taking time off to allow players to train with their country's team and play with the team. Since no one wants that (I hope and assume), all of this stuff is just nonsense.
Agreed. Then again, it's not like either side (especially the American champs) would care that much about this "super World Series" to begin with so it wouldn't have much legitimacy. They need to have the WBC in November somewhere in Latin America. It would be a huge revenue boon for whichever country hosts it (and improving foreign relations should always be a priority for the MLB) and it wouldn't mess up players for the next season. Start training for it during the World Series and then have the event a week or two afterwards.
It would probably take a little while to digest. What if your team wins the 'World Series' but loses the 'Global Series?' I wouldn't know whether to say it was a success or not? A lot of questions for me surround this.
the players should be all for it. unlike the WBC, it makes players and MLB teams relevant in a foreign market. it is just good business, even if just a glorified exhibition.
There are none, VPBL is a recognized minor league and the CPBL is sponsored by MLB players and is owned by Edgar Renteria. They're both winter leagues.
If people think ML baseball is slow and boring wait until they get a taste of the Japanese game. I can't imagine anyone wanting to watch this.
Yeah, Japanese baseball is awful. I think their winner would give the U.S Champion a good run for their money, but the U.S teams just spend way more money than their Japanese counterparts for this to be very competitive.
Additionally, what ML team is gonna let their starters play in this? The Yankees, for example, went through the playoffs with a 3 man rotation--does anyone really believe that they'd have let Sabathia or Burnett start 2 more games after winning the World Series?
