American athletes going overseas

Reading about Kobe Bryant and LeBron James (2 of the game's 5 best) pondering playing basketball in other countries, got me thinking...

While I doubt they will, there's been a few very good basketball players that chose to do so. Is it possible this trend could trickle over into baseball in the future?

Obviously there's only one country (Japan) at the moment that could entice American players to sign with a foreign team. Baseball economics are different than basketball economics, no doubt. But it certainly isn't unthinkable, as Gabe Kapler signed a Japanese contract right after winning the World Series, and no doubt having a guaranteed job with a Major League team in America. Plenty of other Americans have played in Japan as well, just no stars yet...

America is still the baseball mecca, and players still flock here from all over the world (what percentage of ML players are foreign-born? It's gotta be close to half, right?), but that's how it used to be with basketball.

So how about Albert Pujols in a Hiroshima Toyo Carp jersey? Or Roy Halladay taking the mound for the Seibu Lions?

If any of the NPB teams could come up with the types of offers and incentives that the Greek basketball team that landed Josh Childress put on the table... it's a possibility, right?

Alex Cabrera and others have already gone other. But no one who has established them selves in the MLB really goodly has.

You know, I was just about to post a topic on this lol. It's not uncommon to see American players go oversees, and a select few (i.e., Randy Bass, Tuffy Rhodes, and Victor Starffin (Starffin was Russian though)) have super success. But, nobody who has ever been very significant in the United States has ever gone to Japan, other than maybe Goose Gossage.

I don't think it would be unthinkable that more popular stars could defect to Japan to play over there, but as was stated in the opening post, baseball economy and basketball economy are certainly very different. But to answer the question, if Nippon teams could offer the types of offers and incentives that American Major League teams could, then players would definitely go over there. I think it would be hard for any player to turn down an offer from any foreign team if it was a better offer than an American team could do. American independent teams are usually cheap and low-budget, and a second-best option could be Japan, especially if the money is worth the change. Plus, Japan is awesome.

Victor Starffin never even played in the MLB

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RedsoxRockies

Alex Cabrera and others have already gone other. But no one who has established them selves in the MLB really goodly has.

---

Exactly. There's been plenty of American baseball players in Japan... but Josh Childress playing in Greece, that's the NBA equivalent of a Carl Crawford or Matt Kemp going to Japan. Not among the absolute greats in the sport, but very promising young players who have already established themselves and have potential Hall of Fame futures. A Kobe Bryant or LeBron would be like a a Roy Halladay or Matt Holliday going overseas, which is absolutely huge. Originally I used Pujols as an example... then I remembered he's actually Dominican. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElTiburon026

Plus, Japan is awesome.

---

It totally is. I'd love to play baseball or even work there if I could.

I have never even heard of Josh Childress til now

Jaromir Jagr's playing hockey in Russia next year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gosensgo101

Jaromir Jagr's playing hockey in Russia next year.

---

Well, he's originally from Eastern Europe anyway.

This kind of think is certainly possible. The Japanese teams would need some major backing and a real commitment to become a Major League Baseball competitor first, though. There current relationship with MLB is fairly lucrative for both sides however, which makes a real run at raiding MLB players by NPB fairly unlikely.
I think a more likely outcome would be a more formal cooperative relationship, similar to the relationship between the Mexican League and MLB.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ohms_law

The Japanese teams would need some major backing and a real commitment to become a Major League Baseball competitor first, though. There current relationship with MLB is fairly lucrative for both sides however, which makes a real run at raiding MLB players by NPB fairly unlikely.
I think a more likely outcome would be a more formal cooperative relationship, similar to the relationship between the Mexican League and MLB.

---

Very good points. The basketball world seems to have a lot more hostility between different leagues, where baseball comes off as being more friendly internationally. That's interesting; it's probably got as much to do with the nature of the sports themselves as anything else.

When American teams pay those insanely huge fees for the rights to negotiate with a Japanese player, both sides win. Especially in the end. Dice-K and Fukudome have been major marketing successes, easily paying off the money that was put into simply being able to talk to them about contracts.

An American superstar playing in Japan would be absolutely huge too, I'd imagine.

Quote:

---

An American superstar playing in Japan would be absolutely huge too, I'd imagine.

---

Yea, and there are already ample examples of this. Tons of MLB players have extended their baseball careers by going to Japan...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ohms_law

Yea, and there are already ample examples of this. Tons of MLB players have extended their baseball careers by going to Japan...

---

Yep. And just imagine someone in their prime doing it. They'd be the most popular person in that country, immediately.

I hear that Finland has a baseball league. Maybe they'll sign Manny Ramirez? Manny Ramirez in Finland, that's a funny thought.

If he'd consider Green Bay, I imagine he'd consider Finland.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ohms_law

Yea, and there are already ample examples of this. Tons of MLB players have extended their baseball careers by going to Japan...

---

Warren Cromartie did.

The problem with Japanese Baseball and stars going there in the their prime is threefold - one the Japanese won't pay the kind of money it would take to draw Americans, two, Japanese baseball is thought of as an inferior game to the Major Leagues and three, with limits on the number of Gaijin each team can carry, they are very wary of just signing anyone, especially to huge contracts. Superstars and Prima Donnas disrupt team concept and unity. With aging players, the Japanese have them over a barrel as they really have no place else to go.

Basketball is different as teams around the world are better and players from other countries are just as good as their American counterparts. Euro teams with big bucks are willing to pay top dollar for current stars and are willing to put up with their diva-like attitudes.

Big culture difference between Europe and Japan.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeepGuy63

The problem with Japanese Baseball and stars going there in the their prime is threefold - one the Japanese won't pay the kind of money it would take to draw Americans...

---

I can't help but feel that it's very possible. All the Japanese stars in America were overpaid when you figure in the expenses they paid for negotiation rights, but it was a marketing decision, and a brilliant one at that. To be landing top-tier Americans (or any Latin players) though, it'd definitely take a huge restructure of their philosophies and system. But they could definitely afford second-tier players. All Stars possibly, but not superstars at the moment.

Quote:

---

...two, Japanese baseball is thought of as an inferior game to the Major Leagues

---

But it's pretty close, and I've always heard and read experts describing it as being well above American AAA but still below the Bigs. Still, the reason their game is inferior to ours is because we're the ones landing the Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans, etc... they are primarily only playing with their own.

Quote:

---

and three, with limits on the number of Gaijin each team can carry, they are very wary of just signing anyone, especially to huge contracts. Superstars and Prima Donnas disrupt team concept and unity. With aging players, the Japanese have them over a barrel as they really have no place else to go.

---

Good points, all, and no disputing any of that. These are some of the issues in place.

Quote:

---

Basketball is different as teams around the world are better and players from other countries are just as good as their American counterparts. Euro teams with big bucks are willing to pay top dollar for current stars and are willing to put up with their diva-like attitudes.

Big culture difference between Europe and Japan.

---

Definitely, and if the Japanese had more ruthless attitudes in how they run their leagues and teams, I think they'd certainly be able to make a push to acquire higher caliber westerners. While I doubt we're going to see any huge American or Latin baseball stars going to Japan anytime soon (or ever, probably), I don't think it would be far-fetched to see more and more players like Gabe Kepler taking on higher profile jobs for contending Japanese teams instead of being just the xth best player on a mediocre American team, constantly living in fear of being traded around like currency.

You also have to take into account that the Japanese are also getting players from Korea and South and Central America on their own. They just don't have the same pull as MLB because they are not opening and/or sponsoring baseball camps/schools in South/Central America.

I think some of the companies that own teams have the money to sign big stars but it becomes a cultural thing and takes away from the team concept. Will it happen? Maybe some day but not in the foreseeable future.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeepGuy63

You also have to take into account that the Japanese are also getting players from Korea and South and Central America on their own. They just don't have the same pull as MLB because they are not opening and/or sponsoring baseball camps/schools in South/Central America.

I think some of the companies that own teams have the money to sign big stars but it becomes a cultural thing and takes away from the team concept. Will it happen? Maybe some day but not in the foreseeable future.

---

Alfonso Soriano is the prime example.

I agree with you almost 100% though. Like I said in my first post, it would be contingent upon the Japanese teams being able to put the same kind of deals on the table that European basketball teams do, which isn't likely. Like Ohms said, any major influx of American players into Japan would probably be built upon a cooperative agreement.

I see more non-superstar (but good) players making the move as nearly inevitable. We love their players, they love our players, and both countries' fans have a very deep passion for the game. Some kind of exchange program? That could work very well for everyone involved. But I don't imagine we can keep taking on some of their big names the way we have been, at an escalating pace, without a little bit of give at some point, outside of money.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by justanewguy

I see more non-superstar (but good) players making the move as nearly inevitable. We love their players, they love our players, and both countries' fans have a very deep passion for the game. Some kind of exchange program? That could work very well for everyone involved. But I don't imagine we can keep taking on some of their big names the way we have been, at an escalating pace, without a little bit of give at some point, outside of money.

---

A number of Americans do go over there to play each year, the difference being a limit to how many of the "Foreign Devils" each team can have. It used to be just two, now I think it is three.

Whereas here, the Japanese can send as many as they want, there is no limit based on nationality.

An exchange program could only work if the two leagues were considered equals which I don't think is the case.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeepGuy63

A number of Americans do go over there to play each year, the difference being a limit to how many of the "Foreign Devils" each team can have. It used to be just two, now I think it is three.

---

The point I'm making though, is players in or near their prime (not Mr. Baseball type stuff), and players that are better than just Gabe Kapler. Like I said, something along the lines of a Josh Childress. Maybe the American equivalent of an Ishii, Fukudome, or Kuroda.