Players and Owners Make Agreement, Srike Averted

The players and owners managed to come to an agreement on Thursday, September 23, 2004, averting a second weekend strike by the players. The owners have finally conceded on the main point, truely considering remaining with 12 teams in the two leagues next season, as per the "Baseball Agreement" [PDF file in Japanese].

The following is from the written agreement, available in full here [Japan Professional Baseball Players Association site - in Japanese]. If anyone can improve my translation, please feel free.

1. NPB will, for next season (2005 season), with an eye toward returning to 12 Central and Pacific League teams, and in accordance with provisions 31 and 32 of the Baseball Agreement, rapidly advance the examination regarding the acquisition of the participation qualification in NPB (hereinafter referred to as the "examination")


2. In regards to the examination, the "Examination Sub-Committee," a subsystem of the Executive Committee is to be organized to take charge, and will have the goal of reporting to the Executive Committee and owners meeting one month after the start of the examination. Concerning the examination(s) after next year (2006 season), a third party New Joining Club Review Board (tentative name) will be installed in place.


3. NPB abolishes the entrance charge for participation of current Baseball Agreement and introduces a system of deposits on contract and the like.


4. In regard to the examination, for properness and fairness, to be fair and proper, the sub-committee's examination process will be disclosed and transparent.


5. If the entry is approved on the basis of the report of the examination sub-committee, the Executive Committee and owner meeting will, along with NPB, cooperate to the maximum to see that the new entry is admitted smoothly.


6. If a new entry is decided, the new team will be permitted to participate in an expansion draft corresponding roughly to the exclusion of protected players by the merged team (including second and third round draft picks). In addition, in order to assure the competitive potential balance of new club with existing club, the existing clubs will cooperate with new club.


7. NPB will arrange, with the Players Association, the Professional Baseball Structural Reconstruction Conference (tentative name) which will spends one year thoroughly discussing draft reformation, the introduction of the expansion draft system, the reduction restrictions of players' annual salaries, etc.

As you can see, there are still issues to be worked out over the next year. But the owners have recognized that the fans aren't pleased with them, and they're giving the fans' participation in this full credit for their 180 degree change in stance on the issue of allowing new teams.

All of this started because of a couple of back-room deals. That's why the word "transparent" in item number four above is there, I'm sure. The owners mustn't be allowed to hide their actions and dictate their decisions without explanation to those their decisions effect. This sounds like of like the beginnings of a Freedom of Information Act for Pro Yakyu. Let's just hope it doesn't get exploited by a few bad men as the original has been over the past few years.