"Granted, the Giants' popularity is not what it once was. Kyojin fans no longer pack the home park of every opposing team, and the Giants' TV ratings are dwindling. Even so, no other team can command enough of a nationwide audience needed for prime time national telecasts."
Again, this is simply not true in regard to the Tigers. The Tigers also have fans all over Japan. Whether they're playing in Fukuoka, Sapporo, Toyama, or Tokyo, the fans are there in large numbers. The Tigers do have a national following.
And I suppose I should have added something else to my earlier post, and that is, if Pro Yakyu truly had a level playing field, with enforcement of draft rules, an independent commissioner, profit sharing, balanced media coverage etc., then the Giants would not have become so dominant.
Maybe Jim needs to focus on that part of the problem instead.
Sorry for being long winded.
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
He goes on to say that although the Giants' popularity is not what it was, no other team can command a nationwide audience as the Giants can.
This is not the first time Jim has used the term "parasite" in this context, and frankly, I find his comments highly disrespecful and insulting to the fans.
And he's just plain wrong in regard to the Tigers (as I've pointed out to him in the past). In fact, one could argue that it was the Tigers last year who propped up the rest of the league. They are not parasites, and the PL teams are probably just as keen to have games against the Tigers as the Giants.
I don't know why Jim feels as if he has to write in this way, but to denigrate virtually half of the baseball universe surely isn't the way to go. As a Hanshin fan, I deeply resent his snide remarks about parasites and dwarves, and I'd wish he'd stick to facts rather than try and spice up his column with insults.