The Japan Professional Baseball Players Association on Friday voted unanimously at an assembly meeting for greater rights for players regarding free agency and a range of other issues, moving a step nearer to launching a court battle in an effort to improve player status. "It's been very slow reforming the systems in baseball here however loud people say we need to pursue reforms," said association head Shinya Miyamoto, a Yakult Swallows infielder. "It's hard for us to win the bulk of things we think are necessary for the players through negotiations. We believe filing lawsuits is the best possible way to achieve our goals." The players association plans to file a lawsuit by the end of this year and continue labor-management talks with Nippon Professional Baseball even after court action starts.
