International Baseball Beginning to Change Baseball in America By Joe Ehret 2/17/2014 With the snow continuing to ile on an!

the "ree#ing tem eratures lingering$ its un!erstan!able why some eo le might "eel li%e winter will last "ore&er' (or baseball "ans$ though$ ) ring *raining means that better !ays are in the "oreseeable "uture' All layers will ha&e been re orte! to ) ring *raining by the en! o" this wee% an! e+hibition games will begin shortly a"ter' ,nli%e o""-season.s ast$howe&er$ this 201/ saw a great in"luence on it "rom international layers' 0""season roster a!1ustments ha&e not conclu!e! yet$ es ecially consi!ering the mar%et "or "ree agent itchers is still &ery !ee "or this time o" year' 0ne reason "or that is newly ac2uire! 3an%ees 4itcher 5asahiro *ana%a' *an%a is a 26 year ol! itcher "rom Ja an$ an! was wi!ely regar!e! as the to itcher on this year.s "ree agent mar%et' Because o" negotiations between the 57B an! Ja an.s 8i on 4ro"essional Baseball 984B: !i! not go as smoothly as lanne!$ the thirty !ay win!ow "or *ana%a to sign with an 57B club began on ;ecember 2<th an! laste! until he an! the 3an%ees reache! an agreement on January 2/r!' It is not uncommon "or layers to wait until the to "ree agent at the same osition signs be"ore signing themsel&es' *his establishes a mar%et "or their ser&ices an! gauges the money they coul! otentially sign "or' 0ne itcher who recently signe! was "ormer 5=4 o" the >orean Baseball 0rgani#ation$ )u%5in 3oon' *he 27 year ol! signe! with the Baltimore 0rioles last wee%' What hel! u the *ana%a negotiations was the inability to create a new agreement regar!ing layer e+change between the 84B an! the 57B' *he re&ious system was create! in 1??@ but e+ ire! last year' ,n!er the ol! system$ teams bi! against one another "or e+clusi&e rights to a /0 !ay erio! o" contract negotiations with the layer o" interest who is still un!er contract with his Ja anese team' *he winning bi! was gi&en to the layer.s original team as com ensation' ,n!er the new system all /0 57B teams are eligible to negotiate a contract with the layer o" interest ro&i!e! they ay the minimum A20 million osting "ee as com ensation to the original team' Because o" the new system$ *ana%a recei&e! an un rece!ente! A166 million contract s anning se&en years' Being the "irst erson to sign un!er the new system$ *ana%a rea e! the bene"its greatly' *he last layer to sign un!er the ol! osting system was *e+as Bangers ace itcher 3u ;ar&ish' Because bi!!ing "or the negotiation rights to ;ar&ish reache! A61 million$ his contract was only "or A6< million o&er si+ years' *he ol! osting system ro!uce! 1? layers inclu!ing Ichiro )u#u%i in 2001$ an! ;aisu%e 5atsu#a%a in 200< in a!!ition to ;ar&ish' 8one o" those 1? layers recei&e! a contract

anywhere close to *ana%a.s' While Ja anese layers ha&e always comman!e! more money than 7atin American$ there has been an increase in the money s ent on international ro!ucts that are not "rom the (ar East' In 2002 the 7os Angeles ;o!gers signe!$ then 22 year ol!$ Cuban out"iel!er 3asiel 4uig to a se&en year contract worth A42 million' *his ast o""season the Chicago White )o+ in%e! ;ominican "irst baseman Jose Abreu to a si+ year$ A<@ million !ollar contract' *he increase in 57B in&estments in international ros ects shoul! come as no sur rise' *he Worl! Baseball Classic is the o""icial tournament o" worl!wi!e baseball com etition' In 200< it was create! to increase global interest in the s ort o" baseball an! accommo!ate ro"essional league sche!ules so that ro"essional layers coul! com ete "or their home countries' )ince the 200< !ebut there has been a tournament in 200? an! 201/' 0" the three worl! cham ions crowne!$ Ja an won the title in the "irst two tournaments while the ;ominican Be ublic won last year' *he highest the ,nite! )tates has e&er "inishe! was "ourth in 200?' It shoul! come as no sur rise that 57B teams are willing to in&est years an! millions o" !ollars in guarantee! contracts to layers who ha&e ne&er laye! a game at the American le&el' *he le&el o" com etition throughout the worl! has ro&en to be legitimate' 4erha s not as high$ but legitimate enough that "oreign stars who were once 1u!ge! solely by raw talent are now being &iewe! the same as !omestic ros ects' It is sa"e to say that the in&estment ro"essional baseball has ma!e in "oreign countries is starting to ay !i&i!en!s' Aroun! the 57B$ there e&en are whis ers o" an international !ra"t being a!a te! in the near "uture' What was once the in"luence ro"essional baseball ha! on other countries has become the in"luence other countries are ha&ing on ro"essional baseball'