David Yudkin
Footballguy
It's Official: Red Sox to Open Title Defense in Japan
By Ronald Blum
Associated Press / November 14, 2007
NEW YORK -- The Boston Red Sox will open their World Series title defense in Tokyo. Following months of negotiations, the Red Sox agreed to a two-game series against the Oakland Athletics in Japan on March 25-26, and the commissioner's office announced the trip early Wednesday.
With Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima, the Red Sox figure to be an attractive draw for the games at the Tokyo Dome. The Red Sox and A's also will play exhibition games on March 23-24 against Japanese teams.
After the trip, the teams return to the United States and open the rest of their regular-season schedules with a two-game series at Oakland on April 1-2. That originally was to be a four-game set.
Oakland will be the home team for the games in Japan.
The Japan visit is one of two Asian trips Major League Baseball hopes to make next year. Talks have been under way for months to have the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres play exhibition games in Beijing, most likely on March 14-15, at the ballpark to be used for the 2008 Olympics. That would be Major League Baseball's first trip to China.
If the Beijing games take place, the Dodgers likely would then travel to Arizona for most of their remaining spring training games. Next spring is their last at Vero Beach, Fla., where they first trained in 1949. They switch their training base in 2009 to Glendale, Ariz.
Boston and Oakland will be the third set of teams to open the regular season at the Tokyo Dome, following the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs (2000), and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004). A scheduled 2003 series between Oakland and Seattle at the Tokyo Dome was canceled because of the threat of war in Iraq.
"Opening our regular season in Japan for the third time is another example of Major League Baseball's commitment to continue the global growth of the game," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.
By Ronald Blum
Associated Press / November 14, 2007
NEW YORK -- The Boston Red Sox will open their World Series title defense in Tokyo. Following months of negotiations, the Red Sox agreed to a two-game series against the Oakland Athletics in Japan on March 25-26, and the commissioner's office announced the trip early Wednesday.
With Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima, the Red Sox figure to be an attractive draw for the games at the Tokyo Dome. The Red Sox and A's also will play exhibition games on March 23-24 against Japanese teams.
After the trip, the teams return to the United States and open the rest of their regular-season schedules with a two-game series at Oakland on April 1-2. That originally was to be a four-game set.
Oakland will be the home team for the games in Japan.
The Japan visit is one of two Asian trips Major League Baseball hopes to make next year. Talks have been under way for months to have the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres play exhibition games in Beijing, most likely on March 14-15, at the ballpark to be used for the 2008 Olympics. That would be Major League Baseball's first trip to China.
If the Beijing games take place, the Dodgers likely would then travel to Arizona for most of their remaining spring training games. Next spring is their last at Vero Beach, Fla., where they first trained in 1949. They switch their training base in 2009 to Glendale, Ariz.
Boston and Oakland will be the third set of teams to open the regular season at the Tokyo Dome, following the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs (2000), and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004). A scheduled 2003 series between Oakland and Seattle at the Tokyo Dome was canceled because of the threat of war in Iraq.
"Opening our regular season in Japan for the third time is another example of Major League Baseball's commitment to continue the global growth of the game," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.
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This was when he was with the Marlins however.... the spring of the year they won the WS.]How much IS a flight to japan anyway?
This was when he was with the Marlins however.... the spring of the year they won the WS.]How much IS a flight to japan anyway?
you should be happy they get a West Coast trip out of the way early instead of the middle of the season when everyone is already tired. And while they have to go to Japan, they do have 5 days before the next game in Oakland. Plus there's all that "marketing" exposure.
you should be happy they get a West Coast trip out of the way early instead of the middle of the season when everyone is already tired. And while they have to go to Japan, they do have 5 days before the next game in Oakland. Plus there's all that "marketing" exposure.
The Sox are fast becoming the national team of Japan... or at least one of the top 2 most popular teams. This is spilling over into the players (several have been quoted as considering playing with the sox "like Matsuzaka and Okajima". I'd imagine sales of Sox gear is through the roof over there (which is good for the game in general).... That sort of exposure (opening games there) is GREAT for baseball. If what Sammy said is true (5 days before next game) then there is NO issue with this. They will be flying on First Class setups with f'n beds for christs sake. 
The Sox are fast becoming the national team of Japan... or at least one of the top 2 most popular teams. This is spilling over into the players (several have been quoted as considering playing with the sox "like Matsuzaka and Okajima". I'd imagine sales of Sox gear is through the roof over there (which is good for the game in general).... That sort of exposure (opening games there) is GREAT for baseball. If what Sammy said is true (5 days before next game) then there is NO issue with this. They will be flying on First Class setups with f'n beds for christs sake. ![[icon]](/data/avatars/m/5/5167.jpg?1660313464){kind=avatar}
