Hanshin vs Kyojin Salaries

I find it interesting that they reduced the Giants' salary quite a bit by putting Saitoh at first and leaving both Kiyohara and Petagine out of the lineup. While a feel that Saitoh is certainly deserving of a starting spot, somehow I doubt it'll happen.

Nonetheless, without Kiyo and Peta in the lineup, there's a factor of three difference between the two lineups. Add those two and...

> Total 435 mil ...... Ctr Matsui 610 mil

I find it amazing that in a sport where there are only 12 professional teams (I mean it's not like UK soccer, where there are 4 divisions with someone like Manchester Utd. at the top and the Newcastle School for the Blind 3rd XI at the bottom), a single player can get more than an entire starting team.

This presents me with a problem: I can't decide whether it's Yomiuri's cynical greed and reliance on money to win, or Hanshin's (and other teams') own fault for not spending enough money on players.

<rant>NB: I realise that some teams just don't have that kind of money, but Hanshin makes squillions EVERY game. Not only are they guaranteed some of the best crowds in Japan, most of the people who make up those huge crowds travel to the Koshien Stadium on the Hanshin Railway. Now, I know that doesn't compare to having your own nationwide electronic and printed media empire, but it's still a big fat wad o' cash.
</rant>

I think the media empire would bring in more actual cash than that rickety railway line.

But you're right about the crowds. Even when the team is doing poorly, there's always a good turnout.

But apart from the Tigers, the Hanshin "empire" consists of a single department store, a single railway line, and a real estate arm - and all three sectors are not exactly money spinners in Japan at the moment. So if they cried poor, I'd believe them.

But apart from the Tigers, the Hanshin "empire" consists of a single department store, a single railway line, and a real estate arm

And a construction network, a sports and entertainment concern, Blue Note Osaka, an overseas travel service, and any number of other business.

... and all three sectors are not exactly money spinners in Japan at the moment. So if they cried poor, I'd believe them.

In fact they made a consolidated profit in FY2001 of 3.469 billion yen, which was up by 46 million on the previous year, and a tad under 3 billion on the year before.

While this is a drop in the ocean for Yomiuri, it still seems that Hanshin could pay a little more for some better players.

By the numbers, looks like Yomiuri are the Yankees and Hanshim are Royals of Japan. Correct?

Por los numeros, aparenta que Yomiuri es el Yankees y Hamshin el Kansas City de Japon. Estoy correcto?.

I think comparing the Tigers to the Red Sox or Cubs is a better analogy -- lots of history and tradition with a tragic twist. Who wants to be like the Royals? (Sorry KC fans.)

More like the Giants are the Yankees, and the Tigers are the Cubs.

Hanshin is one of the more lucrative franchises, due to their history and rivalry with the Giants. Unfortunately, Hanshin doesn't want to spend money, and when it does, it spends it unwisely.

Possibly, but - believe it or not - Hanshin is not the lowest paying team in NPB. I believe that honour belongs to Orix Blue Wave.

On an almost related topic, I notice that Kei Igawa, Hanshin's young "ace" pitcher, got a massive pay rise to 100 million yen. I think he is lucky, because he had a very bad mid-season slump. Not only did he not have a mark in the "wins" column for almost 2 months, but also Hanshin did not win for 8 Igawa starts in a row in the mid-to-late summer. Even so, Igawa still ended up with 14 wins (I think).

I think it would be great if he went out in 2003 and proved that he's worth every yen.