Twenty-five players will be leaving their Central and Pacific League teams this week, headed for Athens and the quest for gold at the Summer Olympics.
Their absence will no doubt have an effect on the pennant races in Japan, but to what extent will each of the 12 pro baseball clubs feel the pressure while some of the best hitters and pitchers in the game are playing "For the Flag" in Greece?
Here is a team-by-team look at the situation, with statistics quoted through games of Aug. 1:
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