The Japanese Minor Leagues and Other Tidbits
If you want to read a little bit about the minor league system in Japan, here is an interesting explanation of how it is set up. http://marinerds.blogspot.com/2008/12/look-at-japanese-leagues-part-2-eastern.html
I didn’t realize they played so many games in the minor leagues. It might be an interesting trek if Bob Bavasi included as part of his Japan baseball tour a minor league game. Again, for those interested in watching baseball in Japan go to www.japanball.com. You won’t be disappointed.
http://www.npbtracker.com/2008/12/oh-the-irony/#content reports that Tetsuya Yamaguchi played three years in the minor leagues in the United States for the Missoula Osprey between 2002-2004, the Arizona Diamondbacks farm team. He finished with a career 7-13 record and a 4.98 ERA, his performance getting worse with each year. What is the significance of this? Yamaguchi won the Central League rookie of the year award for the Yomiuri Giants. The Yomiuri Giants are a big proponent of the new rule that any Japanese player who plays in the United States should not be allowed to come back to play in Japan. I wonder if that means they will release Yamaguchi.