A's Form Partnership With Japan's Rakuten Eagles Baseball Team

The A's have partnered with Japan's Pacific League Rakuten Eagles, and the teams will share information pertaining to player development and data analysis, as well as exchange baseball operations staff including coaches, strength and conditioning specialists and medical personnel (A's). In S.F., Susan Slusser notes the A's have "worked to increase their international operations, including scouting and signings, and the team opened last season in Tokyo against the Red Sox." Rakuten "has been in existence since 2004, formed after the merger of two other teams left the Pacific League short a club" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/9). 

TICKET SALES: A's VP/Sales & Marketing Jim Leahy said that the team has "sold two to three times as many tickets this week as they would in a normal offseason week." Leahy said that the increase in sales "coincided with reports of the signing" of former A's DH Jason Giambi, and the "volume increased as the week progressed." Leahy: "Jason is sort of the ultimate marketing package" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/9).