So, Daisuke Matsuzaka has signed with the Boston Red Sox, Akinori Iwamura has left the Tokyo Yakult Swallows for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Kei Igawa will be wearing the pinstripes of the New York Yankees rather than those of the Hanshin Tigers.
Three more star Japanese ballplayers are leaving for the major leagues, and the question is being raised once again: What will happen to Japanese baseball if the best players keep skipping on their teams here, either by posting or through free agency, and moving to North America?
The key word is "keep." If the Japanese players are to keep up this pattern, that means the stars will necessarily keep coming, and the future of the Central and Pacific leagues here will be bright, as the promising pitchers and hitters keep emerging from high schools, colleges and industrial league teams throughout the country.