Major League Baseball's decision to stage Opening Day 2004 in Tokyo has apparently caused some heartburn back home in the United States, even though it is hardly the first time the U.S. season has opened abroad.
"Let's hope those Japanese fans bought plenty of Hideki Matsui bobble-head dolls, because the price baseball paid to sell more trinkets and TV ads in Asia was high -- self-respect," wrote The Washington Post's longtime baseball writer Thomas Boswell on Wednesday, the day after the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the New York Yankees before a sellout crowd at Tokyo Dome. Mr. Boswell also groused, as did many others, about the fact that American fans had to watch the game in "the middle of the night" (actually early morning). His displeasure strikes us as misplaced and unfortunate.
Compare that with the attitude of Tampa Bay shortstop Julio Lugo. "I don't like being in a plane such a long time," he admitted. "But to tell you the truth, it was worth it . . . to come over here. I had a nice experience. I love it. I love the fans here. I think they're great." Other players expressed similar enthusiasm, despite their jet lag.