Korean and Japanese baseball merger

[BeTheReds]

I was just thinking, what do people think of this idea, merging the two leagues for more variety? I mean, with 8 teams in the Korean leage there is only a possibility for 4 games every day, and with 12 in the Japanese leagues, there are only 6 per day. Also the Korean League has this rediculous playoff system to select the champion where 4th plays best of 3 againts 3rd. Then the winner of that plays best of 5 vs 2nd, then that winner plays best of 7 vs first, thereby the first place team gets basically 3 weeks to prepare for the championship game while their opponent possibly had no rest at all. My idea splits up the Korean league so that half of their teams join Japan's central league, and the other half join the Pacific league. This way there are 10 teams in each league and they can have 10 games a day.

One requirement is that although both leagues have foreigner restrictions, they both do not restrict players from Japan and Korea, therefore a team in Japan can be made up entirely of Koreans and vice versa without any problems.

Another requirement is that Lotte sells one of its teams, as it owns one from each league.

Last, I don't know how they should deal with it, but both leagues have the Tigers, Lions, and Giants, so either change the names or make it so obvious that they are not the same team somehow.

Korean teams agree to change the player's names on the back of the jerseys to romanization.

Here are my ideas for the divisions.

Sakura (formerly Central) League:
(Tokyo) Yomiuri Giants
(Tokyo) Yakult Swallows
(Nagoya) Chunichi Dragons
Yokohama Baystars
Hiroshima Carp
(Osaka) Hanshin Tigers
(Daejon) Hanwha Eagles
(Suwon) Hyundai Unicorns
(Seoul) LG Twins
(Incheon) SK Telecom Wyverns

Mugunghwa (formerly Pacific) League:
(Chiba) Lotte Marines
(Kobe) Orix Blue Wave
(soon to be Sapporo) Nippon Ham Fighters
(Osaka) Kintetsu Buffalo
Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
(Saitama) Seibu (White?) Lions
(Seoul) Doosan Bears
(Gwanju) Kia Horangi (formerly Tigers)
(Pusan) (Daewoo?) Giants
(Daegu) Samsung (Blue?) Lions

Why I chose this allignment...

First, seperating the Seoul Teams makes sense.

Next, the Central League has hordes of loyal fans because the teams have been around longer and are more prestegious in Japan. If you place the crappy newer not prestegious Korean teams with the teams in the Central League, their attendance will jump dramatically.

Third, the Pacific League has serious attendance problems in Japan because fans like the Central League more. In cities with teams in both leagues (Tokyo, Osaka) The Pacific League teams have crappy attendance, while the Central League Teams sell out nearly every game. This is what forced the Fighters to move to Sapporo. Placing the most prestegious Korean teams with the Pacific League can't hurt them too much, and people will still come to see the 4 oldest teams in the Korean League like they always have.

What do you think about this idea?

[yoMAMA]

It's a cool plan, but there could be a problem though:

Koreans and Japanese has to first start to like eachother.

[BeTheReds]

One problem I considered was that the Korean teams would be full of Japanese players and then Koreans would lose interest.

Also, the way the draft system is set up in Japan, players entering the draft choose the teams they want to join. Naturally all the players choose the good teams and no one chooses the crappy ones... but if this draft system were kept in place, no Japanese would choose a Korean team.

[Ogumo]

That would be cool but the other person made a good point.

[BeTheReds]

<!--QuoteBegin-Ogumo+Jul 13 2003, 06:14 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Ogumo @ Jul 13 2003, 06:14 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> That would be cool but the other person made a good point. [/b][/quote]
Well they could merge and simply not allow any Koreans or Japanese to play outside their home countries. This way it will draw fans due to the popularity of the rivalry. Tho honestly, Japanese baseball is better than Korean baseball, and the Japanese would win every time.

[Ogumo]

I would watch those games if they ever happened. But eventually I would get boring uless the koreans began to improve their baseball skills... although I think that a japanese/american legue would be great. I think it would do even better thatn the japanese/korean legue.

[lethal]

<!--QuoteBegin-Ogumo+Jul 14 2003, 10:37 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Ogumo @ Jul 14 2003, 10:37 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I would watch those games if they ever happened. But eventually I would get boring uless the koreans began to improve their baseball skills... although I think that a japanese/american legue would be great. I think it would do even better thatn the japanese/korean legue. [/b][/quote]
Well, they're talking about a baseball World Cup sometime in March in a future year.

That would really compare countries because it is out of season, so MLB players in all countries can play.

We'll see if it ever comes to fruition.

[BeTheReds]

<!--QuoteBegin-Ogumo+Jul 14 2003, 11:37 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Ogumo @ Jul 14 2003, 11:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I would watch those games if they ever happened. But eventually I would get boring uless the koreans began to improve their baseball skills... although I think that a japanese/american legue would be great. I think it would do even better thatn the japanese/korean legue. [/b][/quote]
The Japanese Teams would get swamped every time.

Plus the time difference makes it impossible.

A KJ league is all in the same time zone.

[BeTheReds]

<!--QuoteBegin-lethalweapon+Jul 15 2003, 01:09 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (lethalweapon @ Jul 15 2003, 01:09 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Well, they're talking about a baseball World Cup sometime in March in a future year.

That would really compare countries because it is out of season, so MLB players in all countries can play.

We'll see if it ever comes to fruition. [/b][/quote]
If that happens it will be all about The USA, Dominica, and Japan. Possibly Cuba if they allow their exiles to represent Cuba.

[Ogumo]

I think that a the korean/japanese legue would be successful...each nation would be interested to see whos better at the game. I sure as hell would watch. They should allow china in as well just for the hell of it.

[BeTheReds]

<!--QuoteBegin-Ogumo+Jul 16 2003, 01:15 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Ogumo @ Jul 16 2003, 01:15 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I think that a the korean/japanese legue would be successful...each nation would be interested to see whos better at the game. I sure as hell would watch. They should allow china in as well just for the hell of it. [/b][/quote]
That would be great actually. It might even rival MLB, since a Korea China Japan Taiwan League could potentially have 30 teams.

[Ogumo]

Yeah your right. Americans might even buy into it...

[BeTheReds]

<!--QuoteBegin-Ogumo+Jul 16 2003, 01:25 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Ogumo @ Jul 16 2003, 01:25 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Yeah your right. Americans might even buy into it... [/b][/quote]
Huh?

[Ogumo]

I was trying to say the americans might even get interested with a legue like that as well. If it got marketed properly it could be a hit. But the legue would have to be formed first ofcourse.

[BeTheReds]

MLB is too established for Americans to start watching a league in Asia.&nbsp; In order for Americans to flock away from MLB, you need to convince all the best American players to go to this new Asian league, not rejects trying to resurrect their careers or prospects that are slightly better than AAA but not good enough for MLB.&nbsp; The only way to do that is to pay them more money, enough to make them want to deal with all the inconveniences of living in a foreign country.

Honestly, I don't think any team in this new upstart Asian League can even think about getting into a bidding war with the New York Yankees.