Rule Amendments, Summer Unis, More

There are a few very important bits of news that need your attention and awareness:

1. The State of Emergency is expected to be called off on March 21, and soon thereafter, the foreign players who have not yet arrived in Japan will be permitted entry into the country. There will be strict regulations that limit their activity for at least their first two weeks, so it will be a while before we get to see Raul Alcantara or Mel Rojas Jr on the field. Still, this is a step in the right direction!
2. This year, there will be no extra innings played at all. Some matches may even start earlier than originally scheduled. (Source: Kyodo News) Games will end after the ninth inning, so an increase in ties can be expected. If this means teams go to their bullpens earlier in games, it plays into Hanshin’s hands quite nicely.
3. Wei-Yin Chen has not had a great spring, and manager Akihiro Yano has said he will not include the lefty in the opening day rotation. It looks like the team could start with Shintaro Fujinami, Koyo Aoyagi and Joe Gunkel on the weekend against the Swallows, and then Yuki Nishi, Masashi Itoh and Takumi Akiyama against the Carp. I like Chen, but the rotation still looks pretty good, does it not?
4. Hanshin has unveiled its 2021 Ultra Summer special uniforms. You be the judge on whether or not you will want to purchase one. Count me out, though.