Realignment of Japanese Pro Baseball Looming.

(From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI))

Japanese professional baseball has been rocked by the fiasco triggered by a planned merger between the Orix Blue Wave and Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes in the Pacific League. In addition, Seibu Lions owner Tsutsumi Yoshiaki revealed on July 7 at a meeting of the owners of the 12 ballclubs that another merger plan is being mulled among Pacific League teams. "I hope that there will be 10 teams and one league beginning next season," Tsutsumi said. His revelation prompted speculation that a move toward the realignment of Japanese professional baseball will accelerate and heightened the possibility of a shift to one league from the two-league system that has been in place since 1950.

At the meeting, the owners effectively approved the merger between Orix and Kintetsu. They decided that the merged club can sign 25 players in the off-season preferentially from the combined rosters of the Blue Wave and Buffaloes. The new team will also be allowed to be based in both Hyogo and Osaka prefectures for three years, although baseball bylaws currently limit a team's hometown to within one prefecture. Orix is based in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, while Kintetsu is based in Osaka. The owners will give formal approval to the merger in September after working out pending issues related to the merger plan.

In late June, start-up IT services provider Livedoor offered to purchase the Buffaloes. But Kintetsu rejected the offer outright and no discussion was held on the offer at the owners meeting, stirring up ...