A True World Series

[NJTank]

Baseball fans let the drooling begin

Report: MLB, Japan champs could play

[IceCap]

And what happens if the MLB champions slaughter the NPB champions? People have always talked about the top teams of these leagues going head to head, but I'm not really sure the Japanese league is at the same level as MLB.

[NJTank]

One year one day the NPB will pull of the upset and it will make the NPB raise their level of play, and can open the path way for a fre exchange of players more Asians in MLB more Americans in Japan, and greater exposure in the US to the NPB.

[rams80]

One year one day the NPB will pull of the upset and it will make the NPB raise their level of play, and can open the path way for a fre exchange of players more Asians in MLB more Americans in Japan, and greater exposure in the US to the NPB.

I'm not sure NPB's corporate masters are open to spending the kind of money needed to truly compete with MLB in baseball.

[CDixonDesign]

This is a great idea, but where will the game be played? Will it be a home and away series? How many games, or just one? With such a great distance between them, would the games be played at a neutral site? Alot of details to iron out for this to be a success...

[epper]

And what happens if the MLB champions slaughter the NPB champions? People have always talked about the top teams of these leagues going head to head, but I'm not really sure the Japanese league is at the same level as MLB.

See, I thought of it the other way. What if the Nippon league team handily beats the MLB team? Japan has steamrolled through 2 straight WBC's with 95% players from their league. The way they play the game, based on pitching, defense, and baserunning, is perfectly matched to take down the free-swingers of MLB.

This is why I think it will never happen. MLB (actually, most Americans in general) wants to be considered the best in the world. I think they'd be too scared to actually do this for fear of getting beat.

Still I think it would be awesome to watch.

[DelayedPenalty]

And what happens if the MLB champions slaughter the NPB champions? People have always talked about the top teams of these leagues going head to head, but I'm not really sure the Japanese league is at the same level as MLB.

See, I thought of it the other way. What if the Nippon league team handily beats the MLB team? Japan has steamrolled through 2 straight WBC's with 95% players from their league. The way they play the game, based on pitching, defense, and baserunning, is perfectly matched to take down the free-swingers of MLB.

This is why I think it will never happen. MLB (actually, most Americans in general) wants to be considered the best in the world. I think they'd be too scared to actually do this for fear of getting beat.

Still I think it would be awesome to watch.

The WBC disperses MLB rosters back to their home country though. The Nippon league is almost entirely Japanese players, the MLB is a melting-pot of all different countries. Combine all the other countries in the WBC and play against Japan and it would be a totally different story, as I feel the MLB champs vs. NPB champs would be.

[CDixonDesign]

If Japans wins this matchup, do we still consider the MLB champs, World Champions?

[Waleslax]

Potential problem: both league's schedules do not overlap, so one side will not be "in full swing."

This has been the problem with WBC in my opinion - it is pre-season for MLBers and post-season for Japan and Korea.

[Gothamite]

Another reason why the WBC results should not be interpreted as giving any advantage to the NPB champs in a potential matchup with the best MLB club.

[Herk]

And what happens if the MLB champions slaughter the NPB champions? People have always talked about the top teams of these leagues going head to head, but I'm not really sure the Japanese league is at the same level as MLB.

While I tend to agree with your statement; that is the same thing people said during the turn of the century when the World Series was created pitting the established NL vs. the upstart AL and again in the 60's when public opinion was the AFL was greatly inferior to the NFL.

[Breakwood]

Potential problem: both league's schedules do not overlap, so one side will not be "in full swing."

This has been the problem with WBC in my opinion - it is pre-season for MLBers and post-season for Japan and Korea.

Nippon Professional Baseball runs April to November.

Korean Baseball Organization runs April to October.

Major League Baseball runs April to November.

[rams80]

And what happens if the MLB champions slaughter the NPB champions? People have always talked about the top teams of these leagues going head to head, but I'm not really sure the Japanese league is at the same level as MLB.

While I tend to agree with your statement; that is the same thing people said during the turn of the century when the World Series was created pitting the established NL vs. the upstart AL and again in the 60's when public opinion was the AFL was greatly inferior to the NFL.

NPB tends to rely very heavily on domestic ballplayers with only a select few gaijin on the team rosters. MLB draws on a talent pool that encompasses the entire baseball playing world, including many of the best Japanese players. Just from that perspective there is a decided advantage on the side of MLB. From a financial perspective, MLB is more able and willing to spend for top level talent than their financially strapped brothers in NPB-many of which are run as outlets by Japanese corporations rather than independent businesses.

I think what we would see if this came to pass would have less in common with the NL vs. AL and NFL vs. AFL, and more in common with a hypothetical "World Series" between a Negro League Champion and the MLB World Champions a few years after integration had come into effect.

[FiddySicks]

So if this happens and for example the Yankees play the Tokyo Giants, who would Red Sox fans cheer for? It's a cool idea, but could be very confusing to the fans in terms of loyalty.

[NJTank]

So if this happens and for example the Yankees play the Tokyo Giants, who would Red Sox fans cheer for? It's a cool idea, but could be very confusing to the fans in terms of loyalty.

Oh I think they will be wearing interlocking YG hats

[FiddySicks]

So if this happens and for example the Yankees play the Tokyo Giants, who would Red Sox fans cheer for? It's a cool idea, but could be very confusing to the fans in terms of loyalty.

Oh I think they will be wearing interlocking YG hats

I dunno, as much as I HATE the Dodgers, if they were in a "World Series" vs a Japanese team I'd probably root for the Dodgers. It'd be hard as hell, but how can you root against the league you follow so closely all summer?

[Hat Boy]

There are so many things wrong with this idea...

Wouldn't this devalue the MLB World Series? "Congratualtions NY Yankees, you've beaten the Phillies to win World Series. Now get your pitching staff in line again so you can play a Japanese baseball team."

The MLB season is already so damn long, do we need another round of the playoffs (which essentially is what this would be).

Every so often, MLB all-stars go to Japan to play. I don't recall these games ever being televised. Considering all the crap that is on TV, if they are not putting this on, it is because no one is going to watch it.

[BBTV]

The MLB teams would send their minor-league squad over to play the Japanese teams. There's no way that a star MLB player (especially a pitcher) will give it his all for something like this. It'll be like the pro bowl, only worse.

[IceCap]

And what happens if the MLB champions slaughter the NPB champions? People have always talked about the top teams of these leagues going head to head, but I'm not really sure the Japanese league is at the same level as MLB.

See, I thought of it the other way. What if the Nippon league team handily beats the MLB team? Japan has steamrolled through 2 straight WBC's with 95% players from their league. The way they play the game, based on pitching, defense, and baserunning, is perfectly matched to take down the free-swingers of MLB.

This is why I think it will never happen. MLB (actually, most Americans in general) wants to be considered the best in the world. I think they'd be too scared to actually do this for fear of getting beat.

Still I think it would be awesome to watch.

It's been covered before, but the WBC is not a good indicator of how a MLB vs NPB game would go.

And what happens if the MLB champions slaughter the NPB champions? People have always talked about the top teams of these leagues going head to head, but I'm not really sure the Japanese league is at the same level as MLB.

While I tend to agree with your statement; that is the same thing people said during the turn of the century when the World Series was created pitting the established NL vs. the upstart AL and again in the 60's when public opinion was the AFL was greatly inferior to the NFL.

Apples and oranges.

The MLB teams would send their minor-league squad over to play the Japanese teams. There's no way that a star MLB player (especially a pitcher) will give it his all for something like this. It'll be like the pro bowl, only worse.

Exactly. Combine that with questions about where the series would be played and other logistical questions, and this thing will never get off the ground. And it's for the best. The NPB is often seen as more or less on par with MLB, despite the fact that it's probably not. So why would the NPB potentially shatter this image by pitting their champs against the World Series champs and prove that they're the inferior league?

[epper]

And what happens if the MLB champions slaughter the NPB champions? People have always talked about the top teams of these leagues going head to head, but I'm not really sure the Japanese league is at the same level as MLB.

See, I thought of it the other way. What if the Nippon league team handily beats the MLB team? Japan has steamrolled through 2 straight WBC's with 95% players from their league. The way they play the game, based on pitching, defense, and baserunning, is perfectly matched to take down the free-swingers of MLB.

This is why I think it will never happen. MLB (actually, most Americans in general) wants to be considered the best in the world. I think they'd be too scared to actually do this for fear of getting beat.

Still I think it would be awesome to watch.

It's been covered before, but the WBC is not a good indicator of how a MLB vs NPB would end.

I realize that Japan's WBC team is basically a NPB all-star team vs. split-up teams composed of MLB stars, but I still stand by my other point about playing styles.

And yeah, BBTV is probably right about teams not sending their stars for an exhibition series.