The Mets and Cubs "arrived bleary-eyed" Saturday in
Tokyo, with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig "defensive about the"
two-game series to be held Wednesday and Thursday, according
to Doug Struck of the WASHINGTON POST. Selig, on holding
the season-opener overseas: "It's the right thing to do."
Selig also described the series as the "first step to a
future of global baseball with a true World Series that
might pit Japan and American teams. ... The
internationalization of baseball has begun." Struck wrote
that neither Japanese nor MLB execs "will say how much" the
Yomiuri Shimbun media company, which owns the Yomiuri
Giants, paid to bring the Mets and Cubs to Japan, but
industry estimates value the deal at "at least" $5M.
Struck: "Both sides surely are calculating their split of
the revenue; in addition to the expensive tickets,
concessions and merchandising." But Selig said, "If this
was just for money, it wouldn't be worth it. ... We have a
social responsibility to take baseball globally" (WASHINGTON
POST, 3/26). Mets co-Owner Fred Wilpon supported the int'l
foray: "I think baseball would be best served if it was
internationalized more than it is today" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS,
3/25). In Boston, Gordon Edes reported that the Cubs
"originally voted against" the trip but "OK'd it after" MLB
offered guaranteed payments to players, coaches and
clubhouse personnel, ranging from $10,000-25,000. Cubs 1B
Mark Grace, on MLB: "Their original offer was $10,000 and we
knocked it up. We wanted them to grease our palms a little
more. That's the American way" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/26).
TREND SETTER OR FOLLOWER? In Chicago, Jay Mariotti
writes that the "one time" Selig and MLBPA Exec Dir Don Fehr
"actually agree on a long-term project, they wind up taking
an unnecessary quantum leap and snubbing their own country
when the experiment calls for mere baby steps." Mariotti:
"Opening Day belongs within U.S. borders. ... A week of
exhibitions in early March would have sufficed" (CHICAGO
SUN-TIMES, 3/27). FSN's Jim Rome, on the series in Japan:
"This is a bad idea. Now, if you want to roll an All-Star
team out after the season, so be it. But, regular season
games should be played in North America ("The Last Word,"
3/25). ESPN's Bill Conlin: "Baseball is following the NFL
and the NBA who have successfully marketed their logos
around the world" ("Sports Reporters," ESPN, 3/26).
YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE: In N.Y., Bob Raissman reported
that Fox Sports "will be bringing big screens" to Penn
Station Wednesday, so commuters can watch the series. The
screens "will be moved" to Grand Central Station on Thursday
for the second game (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/26).
SOSA'S ENDORSEMENT EMPIRE: In N.Y., Richard Wilner
noted that Cubs RF Sammy Sosa has recently signed $1M deals
with PepsiCo, Montgomery Ward and TriCom, which "lead a
stable of roughly 20 companies the personable slugger has
worked with over the last couple of years." Wilner: "In
all, Sosa makes about $10 million to $13 million a year from
his endorsement deals." Sosa signed a $1M endorsement deal
with AM/PM, a Japanese convenience store chain that is
sponsoring the Cubs-Mets series. Sosa also has a $500,000
deal to promote Crystal Geyser water in Japan (N.Y. POST,
3/26). In Chicago, Teddy Greenstein wrote that Sosa is "the
show" in Japan (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/26).
