The Nippon Ham Fighters are studying the feasibility of moving to Sapporo in response to city's drive to court a professional baseball team, Sapporo Mayor Nobuo Katsura said Wednesday.
Katsura said Nippon Ham notified him last fall that the Tokyo-based Pacific League club would consider moving its franchise to Sapporo, where they could play home games in 2004 at the earliest.
"We are pleased with the Fighters' reaction and hopefully the entire baseball world will support their plan," Katsura said, adding Sapporo made similar offers to more than one club since before the completion of Sapporo Dome in May last year.
Nippon Ham officials in Tokyo confirmed that negotiations are under way on a possible move to Sapporo.
Having a baseball team has been on the agenda for the Sapporo municipal government trying to increase the operations for the 42,000-seat Sapporo Dome, a multipurpose stadium designated as one of 10 venues to host matches at this summer's soccer World Cup.
The Seibu Lions will hold their regular-season opening series with the Chiba Lotte Marines at Sapporo Dome on March 30-31.
Seibu plans to make Sapporo a second home by hosting about 20 league games in the 2003 season.
Nippon Ham has been hit by a steady decline in attendance at Tokyo Dome, which it shares with the popular Yomiuri Giants of the Central League.
Attendance at Fighters games declined to 1.37 million last year from 2.46 million in 1988 when Tokyo Dome, Japan's first domed baseball stadium, was opened.