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Foreign Player Limit

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Foreign Player Limit
Does the limit for foreign born players on each team include Koreans and Taiwanese? All I know is that there is a limit for North and South American players, which is understandable, given the already huge baseball populations of those countries. But I don't see why the NPB should restrict the number of players from other "asian" leagues.

If NPB had any concern for the developement of baseball in ASIA, teams should be able to recruit and sign any number of players from the KBO and Taiwanese league. This could boost the revenue of the league and create more teams (possibly in other regions (korea/Taiwan)). I've read other topics about the idea of an "All Asia League" and I think its a good idea. Would it be economically or politically possible? NPB & teams have to lead Asia and create more ballplayers in other parts of Asia, creating academies in China or other countries as they do in the Dominican.

MLB is "World Baseball" because there are no restrictions on players and they have a knack to go anywhere and everywhere to recruit players. I think if NPB became open to other parts of asia, it could become stronger all around in producing more talent, interest, revenue and growth. Imagine the first player from Singapore to play in the NPB! Its a very far fetched idea and the team owners could care less, but I feel that Japan should be the one to create interest in "Yakyu" around ASIA...even if there are only 9 ballplayers in all of Singapore.
Comments
Re: Foreign Player Limit
[ Author: Kiyoshi | Posted: Apr 2, 2006 3:27 PM | HAN Fan ]

The NPB foreign player limit exists for all foreigners unless they have accumulated 10 years of NPB service (such as Tuffy Rhodes).

No one can create baseball interest in any country. Baseball develops from the bottom up - from the people. American teams have toured around the world for over a hundred years. Yet, baseball is strong primarily in these countries - USA, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Most other countries have low levels of baseball

Baseball academies are located in the Dominican because baseball was already popular there.
Re: Foreign Player Limit
[ Author: mijow | Posted: Apr 2, 2006 7:53 PM | HT Fan ]

...baseball is strong primarily in these countries: ...

Well I would take issue with your claim that baseball is strong in Australia. While Australia has produced a number of good players over the years, there's not much fan interest in the sport down under. At least not enough to justify the adjective "strong." The same goes for Italy and the Netherlands I would imagine.

I agree with the rest of what you said, though.
Re: Foreign Player Limit
[ Author: Guest: Ed Kranepool | Posted: Apr 3, 2006 1:06 AM ]

I have said variants of this before. If NPB had any concern for the development of baseball in Asia, they would go out and sign the best players, as many as they can, from wherever they come from.

NPB doesn't care about ASIA baseball. They care about money, like any business and they also care about chauvinism. Unlike those who are quick to spout about MLB racism, I'll just call it chauvinism. Maybe it is just keeping baseball pure. Whatever.

So why stop at Asia? What are you afraid of? Get some more Dominicans, Venezuelans and maybe some Americans, including those from Puerto Rico. Focusing on Asian teams is only going to dilute the talent pool in Korea and Taiwan and make Pan-Asia baseball more difficult. Promoting baseball in China is a good idea, but frankly with the current situation, MLB will have a leg up on NPB. However, it is worth a try, with team sponsorships, field sponsorships and heavily subsidized equipment made readily available for free.

I agree that promoting baseball in Asia is a good thing, no matter which league promotes it. The elimination of baseball as an Olympic sport should be a wake-up call for its fans that there is alot of promoting to do.
Re: Foreign Player Limit
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Apr 3, 2006 10:54 PM | YBS Fan ]

One Asian (Taiwanese or Korean - not sure about Mainland Chinese) player may be registered with an NPB team this year without being counted against the foreign player limit. So NPB is going in the direction that you're referring to here.

What I haven't yet found is how this player is registered. For example, if a team has two Asians, how is it decided which is excluded from the limit? Does it change day to day? Inning to inning? Is there a 10 day waiting period after a change?

This change was first brought up after a meeting of representatives from the four Asian teams for finalizing the Asian Series last summer. It was just kind of thrown out there as a footnote to the proceedings. But at least the Taiwanese representative was concerned about this, worried that Japan was going to start draining the CPBL of their talent, similar to concerns that MLB will be draining Japan of its top players.

I've been saying for years that I'd like to see a Pacific League that represents Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. I see the Asian Series as a step in that direction. Freer trade of players between the leagues would be the second step. While I welcome inter-league play between the two NPB leagues, I fear that it might be a step back from the creation of an Asian Pacific League.

I don't expect anything much more to happen for a few more years, but the winds of change are in the air. We'll see where all of this is going in the years to come.
Re: Foreign Player Limit
[ Author: Guest: Ed Kranepool | Posted: Apr 4, 2006 4:48 AM ]

I don't think there is an equitable talent pool if country of origin restrictions are not lifted. Nor do I think there is an equitable economic formula between big and small market teams if NPB went international.

One could add teams in Seoul, Busan, Taipei and Kaoshiung pretty easily and the travel would not be hard. Roll the NPB Central League into this new Pac Rim League at a minimum, if the entire NPB won't fall in. As a twist, put a team in Honolulu..its within flying range. Open the teams up to all comers, all nationalities. Then have the winner play the MLB champions for a true World Series.
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