This is a site about Pro Yakyu (Japanese Baseball), not about who the next player to go over to MLB is. It's a community of Pro Yakyu fans who have come together to share their knowledge and opinions with the world. It's a place to follow teams and individuals playing baseball in Japan (and Asia), and to learn about Japanese (and Asian) culture through baseball.
It is my sincere hope that once you learn a bit about what we're about here that you will join the community of contributors.
Michael Westbay
(aka westbaystars)
Founder
Yes, the Seibu Lions, bought in the fall of 1978 from Crown Lighter and built into a team that has won 15 league championships and the Nippon Series 9 times since then is up for sale. But making a championship team isn't enough to draw a crowd to Tokorozawa. For example, Daiei is able to draw over 300-man customers a year win or lose, but Seibu has yet to break the 200-man barrier.
Not only is the 200-oku yen price tag out of Livedoor's price range, but it's 100-oku yen more than Daiei and comes with Seibu Dome and a condition that the team must continue to use Seibu Dome as its home. Unless the team can move to a busy hub (like Ohmiya if it stays in Saitama), I don't see how a team can be profitable. The location prevents attracting a crowd, as I've mentioned a number of times before.
CS satalite TV provider Sky Perfect Communications has expressed interest in buying a team, as has TV Asahi.
After all the aborted attempts at destroying the Pacific League during the season, it appears to be their destiny nonetheless. If Daiei (to SoftBank) and Seibu are both sold this off season, that will leave Lotte and Nippon Ham as the only two untouched teams in 2005, two teams that saw tremendous growth in customers in 2004.