Will Tokyo be granted a MLB franchise?

Answer 1

Someday. In the future there will probably be international baseball in MLB. Think of it. Asia could EASILY field 6 teams of the quality needed. So could South America. North America already has gobs. Europe, not so many. Baseball is big in Italy, though. Oceana, maybe 3 teams, or 4. Africa, uncertain. But surely it's possible. Hawaii should have a team, too.

But that's decades away. Practically, no to Japan in the MLB for now.

Answer 2

No, the logistics make it impossible for Tokyo players to get the same amount of rest as other teams. Considering the lengthy flights that take half a day, every time Tokyo teams go for any series away from home or back to a home series, they're effectively getting at least 8 or 9 hours less rest than any other team. And no major league market owners would approve of a Tokyo franchise because the market potential is overwhelmingly disproportional - 100 million Japanese fans in a market that New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston all want to split for themselves, while teams such as Cincinnati and Kansas City struggle to maintain a sizable share of their own relatively small markets.

MLB would be wiser to focus on its current markets, consider heavier investment in Latin America and Europe, and look again at Canada and the possibility of grooming a professional league there that won't interfere with the Blue Jays operations.

Answer 3

No, Tokyo is too far away from any other team. Imagine having to fly from Tokyo straight to New York then onto Boston, back to Toyko, knowing that in only a few weeks you will be back on the eastern US playing Baltimore before heading up to Cleveland. It would take the Tokyo team several hours just to travel to away games against their own would-be AL or NL WEST opponants.

There's too much travel time involved. It would be to taxing on the players which puts them at a disadvantage over all of the teams that play in North America and thus Tokyo wouldn't be much of a drawl for free agents.

Answer 4

No, for three reasons.

1. Logistically very impractical.

2. Tokyo and most of densely-populated Japan is already well-served for live baseball. MLB prefers to avoid competition.

3. Expensive. No MLB owner or potential owner wants to cover those costs.

Answer 5

Unlikely in our life times but in 100 yrs? Who knows? I can see the Japanese league expanding to S. Korea and possibly China. Also, I can see the winner of the Japanese league world series taking on the winner of MLB world series in a neutral site (possibly Hawaii) 25 yrs down the line. I can also see MLB expansion possibly in San Antonio or into Mexico with Monterrey being a very possible city.

Answer 6

No. I can't see Kansas City flying to Tokyo for a 3 game series in July. This isn't even reality.

Answer 7

No - the travel time makes any city outside of North America unfeasible for a franchise.

Answer 8

Japan has their own major leagues. It makes no sense to attach any franchise on the other side of the world to the American major leagues. Not cost effective.

Answer 9

No Tokeyo will never get a MLB, or any U.S oriented sports franchise beacause it is to long of a flight to get there.

Answer 10

no teams will be awarded outside the U.S. again, especially with the marginal results in Canada, with Toronto being decent in attendance, and the Expos failing miserably.