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Leagues and Governing Bodies

MLB FACING NEW QUESTIONS AS IT LOOKS WORLDWIDE FOR TALENT

          MLB's foray into international markets for new players
     is examined by Stefan Fatsis of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. 
     With the interest in foreign players, "nasty battles are
     erupting between American clubs wooing the best players. 
     U.S. scouts are scouring Japan and some clubs are trampling
     Japanese regulations.  The upshot: chaos."  One example is
     the fight between the Padres and Yankees over pitcher Hideki
     Irabu.  The Padres have obtained the negotiating rights to
     Irabu from his Japanese club, but he only wants to pitch for
     the Yankees, who wish to sign him.  A MLB panel is looking
     into the dispute.  Fatsis notes that "much is at stake" in
     the recruitment and allocation of foreign players.  For the
     MLBPA, Japan free agents "would create more wealthy big-
     leaguers.  For baseball, ugly-Americanism could alienate the
     Japanese, even as MLB tries to go global."  One MLB club
     president: "It's not building a bridge to the 21st century,
     I can tell you that."   Padres President Larry Lucchino:
     "You got two billion people in Asia.  The marketing
     opportunities are profound.  This is much broader than
     plucking players from time to time to improve the mother
     ship" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/21).  Irabu told USA TODAY
     that he will sit out a season rather than pitch for the
     Padres (Rod Beaton, USA TODAY, 2/21).


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