The MLB All-Star team was no-hit by the Japanese All-Star team:
Hayato Sakamoto and Sho Nakata both hit two-run homers and starter Takahiro Norimoto combined with three relievers on a no-hitter as Japan beat the Major League Baseball All-Stars 4-0 Saturday to take a 3-0 lead in their five-game series.
Norimoto, who went 14-10 with a 3.02 ERA this season for the Rakuten Eagles, struck out six over five perfect innings to pick up the win.
“It’s too good to be true,” Norimoto said. “I wanted to see how my pitches would work against MLB hitters. The fact that my teammate (Motohiro) Shima was catching made me feel at ease and I was able to perform as usual. The atmosphere at the park was really nice. It was the best outing of my career.”
I’ve wanted MLB and NPB to put themselves on an even footing for a while. That means no draft, direct trades, competing for free agents against each other, maybe even a playoff contest between the champions of both organizations. Results like this, and the performance of Japan over the years in the World Baseball Classic indicate that Japan should not be treated as a minor league feeder for MLB. It’s time for baseball in Japan to take an active role and challenge MLB as an equal.
This no-hitter may also be a sign that offense is worse than we thought. 🙂
I am starting to agree with your idea the offense problems may refelct a drop in MLB’s talent level.
In the steroid era I felt the talent level may have been the highest ever. I still think so.
I do think that fewer kids playing ball which started in the 90’s, and the attractiveness of football and basketball scholarships, and the fact these sports have no minor leagues has led to a drop in the talent pool for baseball.
Most college players simply are not going to want to toil in the minors at 5-10 thousand a year (which all do unless they are on the 40 man). Sure the top picks who will get decent bonuses might, but many MLB stars came from later rounds and these players simply may not be signable today.
MLB could increase the talent pool by increasing bonuses, minor league salaries and living conditions across the board. Might reduce their reliance on Cuban and Japanese players if they did.