Japanese Team to Play in US Minor League

This was brought up about a month ago on this thread [Nichi-Bei].

You state that the team is made up of "minor and industrial-league players," but I was unable to find reference to that in the above article. Industrial league players I can understand. But ni-gun players? Where is the source for this one?

The team is mostly made up of amateur players. Though there are some players with professional expereience on the team such as former Swallows pitcher Takaaki Igarashi and former AAA outfielder Yuji Nerei. [Link - Golden Baseball]

Sorry, that info was from another article linked off the GBL site: Link - Golden Baseball]

- Players on the team include those with experience in the Japan major leagues, the U.S. minor leagues, industrial leagues, and players from some of the finest collegiate programs in Japan. Twenty-five players will make the team that will depart for a final week of Spring Training in Arizona on May 16th before opening the season in the Phoenix, Arizona area against the Surprise Fighting Falcons on May 26th.

I didn't look that far back in the archives because I thought this was new news. But I guess this had been partially announced earlier.

Japan: The team without a home.

The GBL jumped at the chance late last year to make a Tijuana team the league's eighth member, but the arrangement unraveled shortly after it was announced. That's when inspiration replaced opportunity. The GBL had planned to sprinkle its rosters with Japanese players. Instead, a travel team comprised entirely of Japanese players was created, and the Japan Samurai Bears were born.

It is the first all-Japanese team to be a regular member of a U.S. professional league. And it coincides with the 100th anniversary of the first Japanese team to come to North America. In 1905, Waseda University, Japan's national champion, played several college teams during a West Coast tour.

All 90 of the Bears' games will be played on the road, bringing the Japanese baseball experience to the GBL's seven cities. Several Japanese traditions will be observed when the Bears play. Three of note:

1. Sushi and tempura will be served at games.
2. The playing of taiko drums in the stands.
3. Handing teddy bears and flowers to players after they touch home plate after a home run.

The rest of the article about the league is at Sign on San Diego.

- Several Japanese traditions will be observed when the Bears play.

And don't forget the jetto fusen (jet balloons) in the Lucky Seventh. I hear those are going to be a feature of at least some of their games.

That won't be the first time for jetto fusen in the U.S. The Frisco RoughRiders have used them during their 4th of July weekend games the last two years!

Yes, and the Dayton Dragons also used them once - but the response wasn't that positive. Apparently it took them too long to clear the field after the balloon release.

The Samurai Bears are off to a .500 start, splitting their first two games with the Surprise (Arizona) Fightin' Falcons, in the Arizona Division of the Golden Baseball League.

For us yakyu fans who cannot make it to an NPB game this year, this new baseball team is a real blessing. A bunch of us crazed Canadians are planning to make it down to Long Beach in July for some games - get in some cheering, fusen action, yakisoba in the stands, the whole atmospher. A small taste of what we love about Koshien, hopefully.

Any possibility, Westbay-sensei, of putting a link to the Golden Baseball League or the Samurai Bears on this site? Perhaps on the Nichi-Bei page. There certainly seems to be more and more media in the U.S. and Canada about this team. And the manager, Cro-san, needs no introduction.

All but two of the teams have Internet broadcasts, so you can pick up the games on the net. One of the rules that they have is no DH, they are the only USA Indy league to use this rule.

Also an update on Arias. He is playing in Mexico with Potros de Tijuana. He's batting .379-9-34 in 39 games.