Money and Baseball

There is a close connection between money and politics, regardless it is right or wrong. So, is it right or wrong for a professional baseball player to be connected to money? Now, professional baseball leagues are shaken with money scandals. Some were involved in underground gambling, while some teams had a rule of penalty on losing game or error. Yes, they work to earn money. But, the Japanese does not approve playing for money.

The epicenter of money scandal was Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, which had been recognized as the leader of Japanese professional baseball. While three players were punished with involvement in baseball gambling last fall, there currently came up the fourth player who had been included in the group. The player, Kyosuke Takagi, betted for eight or nine games in 2014, and he quitted it after he lost ¥500 or ¥600 thousand. Takagi apologized to the pubic in his press conference.

But, the scandal was not contained to one player. Media accused Giants of its inability to grab whole structure of the problem last fall. Questioned to its responsibility in harming credibility of pro baseball games, Supreme Adviser of Giants, Tsuneo Watanabe, and some board members stepped down. As President of Yomiuri Shimbun, Watanabe reigned over Yomiuri Group including Giants for decades. The fall of Watanabe indicated structural change of pro baseball community.

Money scandals did not stop there. Giants had a rule of paying money depending on the result of the game. The pitchers and fielders of Giants always have a gaggle before every game. The conductor of gaggle would get ¥5,000 from each player, if the team would win, and pay ¥1,000 each, if lose. The rule started in 2012, when the team was in a slump. But, the team did not report the fact, realizing it at the time of investigation for gambling last fall.

Amazingly, other teams followed, revealing their own scandals. Hanshin Tigers in Osaka, longtime rival of Giants, had the same rule as Giants had. Seibu Lions in Saitama also stepped forward as recognized the same routine among its players. Chunichi Dragons in Nagoya stocked money from the players who made an error in pre-game warming-up practice and donated the amount to nursery schools. Although the team emphasized its goodness in purpose, it could make the donation without penalty rule.

As in United States, the baseball fans demand high morality for professional players. Different from United Kingdom, private gambling is strictly prohibited in Japan. The scandal might be stemming from difference of culture over imported sports game.