MLB last opened a season in Tokyo in '12, with the A's and Mariners playing two gamesGETTY IMAGES
The A's and Mariners will play next season's first games in Japan, marking the "fifth time that MLB will open its season in Tokyo," according to Ryan Divish of the SEATTLE TIMES. The last time came in '12, when the Mariners and A’s "played two games." MLB also announced that it will "renew its 'All-Star Tour' with Nippon Professional Baseball, playing six games across Japan from November 8-15." As part of the '19 Japan Opening Series, both the A's and Mariners will also "compete against Nippon Professional Baseball teams in day/night doubleheaders" scheduled for March 17-18 (SEATTLE TIMES, 5/2). In Tacoma, T.J. Cotterill notes the Mariners have as many Japanese ties as "any organization in baseball, with Nintendo once owning a majority stake in the organization." The Japanese video-game company is "credited with saving baseball in the Northwest when its then-president Hiroshi Yamauchi bought the team" in '92. Nintendo "sold the Mariners almost two years ago" but still retains a 10% stake in the club’s ownership group. The Mariners were also scheduled to open the '03 season in Japan against the A's, but 12 hours before they were set to leave from Phoenix, the trip "was canceled because the Iraq war had broken out the previous day" (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 5/2).
READY TO RETURN: A's manager Bob Melvin said, "The trip we had in '12 couldn't have been better." Mariners 3B Kyle Seager: "It was awesome. The city was amazing and unbelievably clean. It was a really cool trip and I'm really excited to go back." Mariners C Mike Zunino: "I've talked to guys who played over there and they love the culture and how much they love baseball. It's cool to see how fan bases around the world enjoy the game." MLB.com's Greg Johns noted this will be the "eighth time MLB has played its season opener internationally," having opened in Monterrey, Mexico ('99); Tokyo ('00, '04, '08, '12); San Juan, Puerto Rico ('01); and Sydney, Australia ('14) (MLB.com, 5/1).
SPECIAL TRIP: In San Jose, Martin Gallegos notes A’s players were "excited following the announcement" about the trip, an experience that is "sure to be memorable for the many young players on the team." But the trip will have a "special meaning" for A's P Sean Manaea. Manaea’s brother, Dane, is a U.S. Navy member "currently stationed in Yokosuka, which is about 30 minutes away from the the Tokyo Dome." Manaea: "That would be really cool if he was able to go to that game and be able to see me play professionally for the first time. That’s the biggest thing" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 5/2).
