by Digger

Major League Baseball's World Champion Boston Red Sox will open the 2008 baseball regular season in Japan vs Oakland A's. These two teams are currently playing sold out exhibition games vs Japanese clubs before squaring off for back to back games on March 25-26.

At the end of each regular season, American star studded pro's travel across the ocean to play Japanese All Stars. So why should players travel 18 hours for a season opener? Especially, when our teams will conflict with the Japanese scheduled games. This is poor coordination between organizations. Take it one step further. These games are scheduled for 6:05 a.m. (3:05 PST) without national TV coverage!

First off, Japan is a baseball rich country. Promoting our game in a baseball rich envirnment is not the best course of action. Record setting crowds could be had on different venues. Nearly any other country would gratefully welcome our heroes from Europe to South America. How about the State of Hawaii? How about not rocking the boat at all. All Star squads can go on tour after the regular season concludes. I'd bet greater revenues would be had instead of subjecting our clubs to insane schedules. Has anyone taken notice neither game will receive national television or radio broadcasts?

This years' opener was almost called off by the Red Sox players rightfully sticking up for their coaching staff as MLB was unwilling to pay for their services and travel. Commissioner Selig had testified before Congressional Committee's boasting of "baseball's record revenues" .. yet, the league was too cheap to compensate members of the game?

Next up, how will these teams bounce back upon returning to America?
Will they be jet lagged? Burnt out?

What were the schedule makers thinking by starting the regular season in Japan while teams have not concluded pre-season games here? The next logical question is how does MLB schedule more pre-season games for both teams when they return home if they've already begun regular season play?

Oakland travels from Japan back to San Francisco for 3 pre-season games. Boston to LA Dodgers for 3 pre-season games... both beginning March 28.

It gets nuttier folks...

For their U.S. openers, both teams play each other again in Oakland for a two game set on April 1st & 2nd.

Boston then heads to Toronto for a weekend series. How Boston's upper brass agreed to such a grueling schedule to begin their Championship defense defies all logic.

This is great news for AL East opponents... especially New Yorkers eager for any advantage against their hated rivals.

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