Toreba no Toraba: MLB Rules the Baseball World?

From the Daily Sports Online column / デイリースポーツオンラインの連載コラムから

Japan is riding a perfect baseball wave right now. If you think about it, this perfect storm has been in the works for 5 years now. Ever since Shohei Ohtani took MLB by storm in 2018, there has been a heightened interest in the country and league from whence he came. Injuries and slumps from 2018-2020 cast some shade on whether or not he could really be a two-way player long-term, though, and the onset of Covid-19 put a real damper on spectator sports in general, including tourism from the USA to Japan for some NPB action. It looked like a short-lived wave that crested too soon.

But also, during the pandemic-forced three-year hiatus on this opportunity for Japanese baseball to grow globally, Ohtani firmly established himself as a one-of-a-kind talent that, let’s be honest here, if you do not like, you’re no lover of baseball. Coupled with his unanimous MVP 2021 campaign and an even better 2022 season was the World Baseball Classic championship in March 2023. And just a couple of days ago, the Japanese government removed the final nail from what was once NPB’s global coffin: Covid-19 is now classified as nothing more than the seasonal flu. This means baseball fans from overseas can freely come to Japan and take in a ball game once again! (And they are doing just that, based on what I have observed.)

Ah, glorious NPB is finally going to get the spotlight it deserves (even if it does not seem to crave it). Remote viewing can take a backseat to live baseball! Nevertheless, H-TEN has continued a tradition that started during the pandemic’s darkest days. Once per month, I set up a Zoom link for my Patreon faithful, and we watch a Hanshin Tigers game together while shooting the breeze. It is truly a refreshing time for me, as I get to interact with fans who have a completely different daily routine and view of the Tigers and Japan. Many of them come with questions that (in some ways) help them form those views.

Just the other night, in fact, we watched the Tigers host the Swallows. It was a small group, but one patron who is relatively new to NPB asked a few questions that struck me as interesting. “Does Japan tend to follow trends in rule changes that take place in MLB?” Interesting question. So I answered that yes, there tends to be a 1-2 year delay but many changes cross the ocean. Think about the collision rule for catchers and the intentional walks without pitches being thrown. So he asked me about the more recent MLB changes: universal DH, ghost runner in extra innings, pitch clock, and pick-off limit. Obviously, it is too soon to predict what will happen, but I am inclined to say no to most, and also, PLEASE, NO!

There can be little denying that these changes have all taken place to cater to the younger generation. The DH brings more offensive output and home runs, which is deemed a virtue. The ghost runner allows for a higher probability of runs, which lessens the likelihood of marathon games going past midnight. The pitch clock and pick-off limit keep the game moving forward and result in faster finishes, not to mention an uptick in offense (CHECK THIS STAT). The patience required to watch a traditional baseball game has completely eroded with the advent of the smartphone and social media.

But does NPB need these “improvements”? Are Japanese fans demanding a faster product? Not as far as I can tell. The Central League (which has no DH) is so old-fashioned that it might take another decade before the majority grows tired of seeing pitchers bat and managers strategizing in late innings. Japan has always had a tie system in place, so games never go beyond the 12th inning anyways. And people here have fully accepted ties as part of the game, so there is no clamor to put an end to that rule. No need for ghost runners! As for the pitch clock? Well, once again, the overarching societal trend towards instant gratification could get the better of Japanese baseball too, but I do not think people are in a rush to bring this new rule to NPB. One of the beauties of the game, certainly in Japan, is the one-on-one showdown between pitcher and hitter. It’s a physical battle but even more so a psychological one. Traditional Japanese sports are filled with such showdowns. Think karate, kendo, and sumo wrestling. None of these sports is strictly dictated by clocks. There is a timeless virtue in getting lost in the moment, forgetting about time constraints, and going through a mental battle in tandem with the players.

And so, I say to NPB, do not change just because of what MLB is doing! There are plenty of MLB fans who have not taken to the new world order. They are turning their eyes to NPB, where baseball is still played “the way it is meant to be played.” They have seen what Japan has done at the 2021 Olympics and 2023 WBC. They see Shohei Ohtani, along with new stars like Kodai Senga and Masataka Yoshida. If you keep the game the same, they will come. Ride the wave, NPB. It still hasn’t crested, and the best is yet to come!