Tadano Drafted by Nippon Ham

Increasingly, this is not so rare. Micheal Nakamura (also with Nippon Ham) was another one who played in North America then was drafted in Japan.

What it boils down to is that the method of entry into the NPB for anyone who fits the NPB definition of "Japanese" is via the draft system. In order for the owners to get around foreign player limits, their definition is pretty broad.

So is it something like a "gentlemen's agreement" with the other club? Was Nippon Ham like "Hey Billy, do you mind if we take Tadano off your hands?" I'm sure Oakland gets some kind of compensation for Tadano, right?

I don't believe that any agreement between Nippon Ham and Oakland was necessary. Wasn't Tadano given his release and nobody in MLB was interested in picking him up for anything but a minor league contract? If the Fighters contacted him showing interest, then it makes sense for him to register for the NPB draft.

Mac Suzuki and GG Sato are other examples of guys that were drafted by NPB after playing in America.

- Wasn't Tadano given his release and nobody in MLB was interested in picking him up for anything but a minor league contract?

Yes, Tadano was released by the A's [Baseball America] in October. So, to answer the question, no, the Fighters didn't have to give any compensation to the A's.

I wasn't aware that Tadano had been released. Thanks for the link. I hope Tadano does better in the NPB, because he sure has some potential.

The case of Micheal Nakamura is as broad as the definition gets. He played in the Olympic games as an Australian representative. When Nippon Ham held a press conference for drafted players, Nakamura couldn't attend because of a "visa problem" according to a sports newspaper. Umm, a Japanese national, and a visa?

Well, Micheal was born in Nara and his father is Japanese (his mother is Australian). I don't know exactly what the requirements are to be considered Japanese in a case like his.

The Dragons just drafted a guy named Ken Higuchi last year who is the reverse - born in London to a British father and Japanese mother, but lived in Japan and played HS baseball here, so that means he automatically counts as Japanese, heh.

Well, Ken would have Japanese citizenship if his birth was registered with the Japanese embassy/consulate in the UK, plus he went to a Japanese high school, so really there's no way he could be considered foreign (NPB considers those who went though Japanese high school to be non-imports and draft eligible regardless of nationality).

As for Micheal, he was considered for the current Japanese Olympic Team. I'm not sure how that would've worked out with the IBAF considering he's represented Australia in previous official international competitions (right?).

- As for Micheal, he was considered for the current Japanese Olympic Team. I'm not sure how that would've worked out with the IBAF considering he's represented Australia in previous official international competitions (right?).

Other players have contributed to multiple national teams. Luis Serafin de Camargo (who has played in the industrial leagues in Japan) has represented both his native Brazil and Italy. Giovanni Carrara has pitched for Venezuela (his birthplace) and Italy (he has citizenship as an ancestor was Italian). Brant Ust (born in Belgium) has played for both the USA and Great Britain. Mike Nickeas (born in Canada) has played for the USA and Great Britain.

It all depends on the country's rules for citizenship. I don't think Yuiichi Matsumoto (nee Daniel Matsumoto) can play for Brazil any longer since he became a Japanese citizen; at least, he hasn't appeared for them since 2002 when he would be a logical choice for any roster they were to put out.

I guess the IBAF is a lot looser than FIFA or IIHF when it comes to national team representation, but not as loose as IRB.