Softbank Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to pay 20 billion yen for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and its gaming rights, capping years of speculation on the fate of the athletically sound but financially ailing baseball team.
The move is the latest twist in one of the most tumultuous years in Japanese baseball, which has already seen one team added and two others merged.
The announcement comes 1 1/2 months after the Hawk's zombie corporate owner, Daiei Inc., finally decided to seek rehabilitation under the Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan.