For the first time in eight years, the Major League Baseball season does not completely end upon completion of the World Series. This year, we will have baseball in November. On June 10, MLB.com’s Spencer Fordin announced that MLB will send an All-Star team to Japan to play against the All-Stars of the Nippon Professional Baseball League.
The All-Star Series 2014, will run from November 11-20. It will include seven games with the main event featuring a five-game series between the MLB All Stars and the Nippon All Stars beginning November 12. The MLB All-Stars will also play exhibition games with Nippon teams both before and after the five-game series.
MLB last sent a team to Japan in 2006. Donned with the stars of the day, the 2006 roster included Chase Utley, David Wright, Ryan Howard, Joe Mauer, Andruw Jones, and Jose Reyes. In fact, Reyes blasted a two-run walk-off home run to end the series with a sweep for the MLB team. Pitchers included Bronson Arroyo, John Lackey, Chris Young, and closer Joe Nathan.
Obviously, there is no roster selection at this time; that will occur after the regular season ends. Imagine, though, the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka returning to Japan to face his old friends and teammates. We could also imagine the Seattle Mariners’ Hisashi Iwakuma doing the same. In addition, the Yankees’ Ichiro Suzuki could have one final go-around in the nation where his stellar career and journey for 4,000 combined hits began.
We could also let Japanese fans see the developing stars of the game in our young players such as George Springer, Yasiel Puig, Mike Trout, Anthony Rizzo, and more. They could get a glimpse of Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, or Aroldis Chapman doing their work on the mound.
Fans can start piecing together the lineups they would like to see. Regardless of who makes the trip, though, the good news is that we will have seven extra Major League Baseball games to enjoy this fall.
Here is the complete schedule, courtesy of Fordin and Major League Baseball:
ALL-STAR SERIES SCHEDULE
| Date | Matchup/location |
|---|---|
| Nov. 11 | Exhibition game vs. Hanshin Tigers, Yomiuri Giants at Koshien |
| Nov. 12 | Game 1 at Kyocera Dome, Osaka |
| Nov. 13 | Travel day |
| Nov. 14 | Game 2 at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo |
| Nov. 15 | Game 3 at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo |
| Nov. 16 | Game 4 at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo |
| Nov. 17 | Travel day |
| Nov. 18 | Game 5 at Sapporo Dome, Sapporo |
| Nov. 19 | Travel day |
| Nov. 20 | Exhibition game vs. Team Japan, Okinawa |
PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.sportspickle.com/