MLB concluded its two-game season opening series in
Tokyo, Japan, this morning, as the Mets and Cubs split the
series with both games playing before sellout crowds of
55,000 at the Tokyo Dome. MLBI VP Jim Small said that talks
"have begun on bringing American teams" to Japan every other
year (WASHINGTON POST, 3/30). On "CBS Evening News" last
night, Dan Rather said, "The crack of the bat came before
the crack of dawn, [Wednesday] as money-hungry Major League
Baseball had the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs playing game
one in Japan. The American pastime took on a distinctly
foreign flavor" ("CBS Evening News," 3/29). FSN's Jim Rome:
"Well, I hope you all enjoyed rolling out of the rack at
5:00am Eastern Time and 2:00am Pacific Time to see the
opening of Major League Baseball season. ... This is a bad
idea that is getting worse by the minute. Who would want to
see the first game of the season? Well, pretty much
everybody, that's who, and we all missed it" ("The Last
Word," 3/29). In Rochester, Bob Matthews: "On a long list
of bad moves by [MLB], selling the rights to Opening Day to
foreign interests for a reported $5 million was one of the
worst" (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 3/30). In Chicago,
Jay Mariotti offers a suggestion to MLB Commissioner Bud
Selig: "Before conquering the world, how about first fixing
baseball back home?" (SUN-TIMES, 3/30). In Orlando, David
Whitley writes MLB's "opener was a big hit at the Tokyo
Dome, and Selig is acting very presidential. When things
are shaky at home, go abroad" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/30).
24-HOUR APPEAL: Cubs 1B Mark Grace, on the AM/PM
convenience store logos which were on the team's batting
helmets for the series: "We're officially prostitutes now"
(CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/30). In N.Y., Tom Keegan calls the
uniform advertisements "disturbing, a breaking of the ice
toward a time when players will be used as human billboards
in the manner of race-car drivers and golfers" (N.Y. POST,
3/30). FSN's Keith Olbermann called Opening Day in Tokyo an
"odd, odd experience. ... Players dressed like they were in
'Bad News Bears,' those chintzy ads on the helmets and unis,
only not for Chico's Bail Bonds" (FSN, 3/29). In Newark,
Dave Waldstein writes, "These little patches signify an
historic sports marketing moment ... really more historic
than yesterday's and today's games. ... And don't think for
a moment that these little logos will remain small."
Waldstein adds, "If you are going to have ads on helmets or
shirts, have some real ones. AmPm?" (STAR-LEDGER, 3/30).
