"The damage was too great" Japanese professional baseball discusses expanding the number of games 143→148
Sep 19, 2024
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According to a report by Japan 'Sankei Sports' on the 19th, NPB and the secretary-general of the Japanese Professional Baseball Players Association held negotiations in downtown Tokyo on the 18th.
Currently, the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) plays 143 games per team during the regular season. However, the NPB is pushing for an increase of five games to 148 games from the 2026 season.
"Sankei Sports" was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022 putting pressure on the club's management. The purpose is to compensate for the loss of the club due to the increase in the number of games. First of all, the basic plan is to expand five games per team.
NPB played only 120 games per team in the aftermath of COVID-19 in the 2020 season, and played without spectators. According to Japanese media, the loss of the game suffered by 12 clubs at the time is estimated to have reached about 142.3 billion yen (about 1.3 trillion won). Although spectators have normally entered from the 2023 season, and the enthusiasm for the box office has been revived, it is still not enough to cover the losses during the pandemic.
NPB maintained a 130-game system per team for a long period of time from 1966 to 1996, and since then, the number of games has gradually increased, implementing 135 games, 140 games, and 144 games, but the current 143 games system has been established. If a team plays 148 games, the number of league matches will increase by one from the current 25 to 26.
Director-General of the Japanese Professional Baseball Players Association "I am against simply increasing the number of games. I am concerned about the physical burden of the players. "Wouldn't we be able to find another way for our fans?" he expressed concern, but "I'm not completely against it." "If you think it's necessary based on the league as a whole, you're not necessarily against it."
Fans are also showing mixed reactions. It is welcome that the home-away game ratio will become the same as the number of league games becomes an even system, but many people are concerned about this as the opening and closing times of the regular season will be different from before, which will have a significant impact on spring camp and off-season schedules.
youll@sportschosun.com
