Post-Quake News
With northern Japan still not out of the woods, baseball has rightfully taken a backseat in the news. But there is already news about the charitable activity of NPB players, as well as discussion about when NPB’s season should begin, and I’d like to share those items tonight. No opinion here, just news.
- It looks like the current proposal is to open the Central League’s season on March 25, and the Pacific League’s on April 12. The Rakuten Golden Eagles will likely borrow Kobe’s newly renamed Hotto Motto Stadium to open the season.
- Not everyone is in favor of the idea. Notably, Hanshin outfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto has published a lengthy commentary against the idea in Nikkan Sports. His point is that it’s “not an environment where we can inspire courage,” pointing out that dead bodies are still being found, and people are still lacking food, water and electricity.
- Meanwhile Yakult infielder Shinya Miyamoto suggests delaying opening day into April, and playing for charity.
- Miyamoto’s former teammate and boss Atsuya Furuta is also against the March proposal.
- Seibu Lions players including Takayuki Kishi and Yusei Kikuchi collected donations at Tokorozawa Station on the 16th.
- Boston pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, Junichi Tazawa and Itsuki Shoda did the same prior to a spring training game in Florida.
- Kenji Johjima is back in action, with a hi no maru (Japanese flag) adorning his glove, and a commitment to donate JPY 10m ($120k) to the earthquake/tsunami victims.
- Yu Darvish is donating JPY 50m to the Japanese Red Cross.
- Chan Ho Park is also contributing JPY 10m.
- Hiroki Kurodahas pledged $50,000.
- The Meikyukai has pledged JPY 3m.
- Shohei Tateyama is donating JPY 1m to the Japanese Red Cross.
- Takashi Saito has his successors at Tohoku High School on his mind.
- The Yokohama BayStars have granted all five of their foreign players temporary leave to return to America.
- Kei Igawa has returned to Japan. Igawa is from Oarai, Ibaraki and wanted to meet his parents directly.
And finally I and my family have made small contributions to Global Giving and Save The Children, and are researching other organizations. If anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears.
17/03/2011 at 1:51 pm Permalink
Hi, Patrick,
First of all, I praise Chan-ho Park and Kanemoto, for different reasons, but obviously, the same goal: The victims in mind.
Kanemoto stressed on two things. One: Playing NPB games use ALOT of electricity. This is no time as a “pro,” he said, to not see that millions of people are out of these things, and the owners want to waste the “e,” much in needed, not to mention the upcoming rebuild effort and systematically cooling down the four nuclear reactors in Fukushima.
Secondly, Kanemoto also ended his proclamation with the fact that East Japan is still under radioactive threat. Why do you want to gather a mass a people under open air with a higher risk of infection?
I sense that NPB owners are slow blockheads who are so lust of gate receipt. It’s time to wake up. It’s not just the money in 10 or 20 games. They can shorten the season, I believe. They can even offer free games at more suburban field easier for the victims to visit (not necessarily closer to Fukushima).
I can think of tons of way to play out this season, without risking people’s life and taking away resources much needed for the Northeast region. What’s the point of squeezingly-fit 144 games into a difficult situation when both ballparks of Sendai and Chiba are not in good shape? Do owners really believe that fans will just come and spend like they did?
Lastly, there’s nothing right about Rakuten playing in Kansai. That’s not right. At least play in Ibaraki or Echigo, closer to where “Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles” were supposed to be. If not, then don’t play at all, because things are so bad.
NPB should 1. delay opening day before the First Fukushima nuclear plant is under control; 2. find Rakuten a more “permanent” ballpark and training ground closer to home, at least for this year; 3. Players shall take the strike against the owners for acting against humanity.
17/03/2011 at 2:24 pm Permalink
I just want to get this right, a little note of what I wrote earlier (which had a ton of typos, but bare with me):
Kanemoto didn’t attack the owners, but I concur by suggesting that the owners want to waste the much needed electricity, urgently needed in the upcoming rebuild effort and systematically cooling down the four nuclear reactors in Fukushima.
A little fact I got online: Almost 35% of Japan’s electricity came from nuclear energy. 70% of these came from East and North Japan. Now all of them are temporarily shut down, plus the current situation that one whole plant is defunct (Fukushima, still causing confusion and a Godzilla threat). The second biggest economy of Asia in Japan, especially North and East Japan, has a dire need of more limited electricity.
17/03/2011 at 2:25 pm Permalink
I just want to add a little note to what I wrote earlier (which had a ton of typos, but bare with me):
Kanemoto didn’t attack the owners, but I concur by suggesting that the owners want to waste the much needed electricity, urgently needed in the upcoming rebuild effort and systematically cooling down the four nuclear reactors in Fukushima.
A little fact I got online: Almost 35% of Japan’s electricity came from nuclear energy. 70% of these came from East and North Japan. Now all of them are temporarily shut down, plus the current situation that one whole plant is defunct (Fukushima, still causing confusion and a Godzilla threat). The second biggest economy of Asia in Japan, especially North and East Japan, has a dire need of more limited electricity.
19/03/2011 at 6:52 am Permalink
the central-league suits just had a sit-down and decided that they delay opening day until the 29th. they also agreed on not to have night games until april 3rd in areas where the electricity comes from either tokyo electric power company or tohoku electric power company. there also will not be extra innings during the regular-season games…
21/03/2011 at 12:04 am Permalink
ryo shimada, the owner of the golden eagles, just released a statement that says that their ballpark will be ready to go on 4-29…
23/03/2011 at 7:06 am Permalink
Thanks for these updates Hiroshi.
24/03/2011 at 7:12 am Permalink
Central league decided to open on 4-12 with pacific, and they won’t use the Tokyo dome during April.
Glad to be a little help Patric.