Japanese baseball players and team representatives averted the first strike in the history of the sport in Japan on Friday by reaching a last-minute agreement that will allow teams to continue playing through the weekend.
Osaka - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta (right), who
heads the Japanese players' association, talks with team representatives Friday.
The players had said three conditions, including a one-year freeze on the merger of the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Orix BlueWave, would have to be met by 5 p.m. Friday to avoid a strike.
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