OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

tehsuigi · 06-02-2020, 11:21 PM

This takes place in an alternate COVID-free universe.

TOKYO - November 5, 2020

The celebrations taking place in Tokyo, as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles completed their Japan Series win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 5 games, were overshadowed by news from *** headquarters elsewhere in the metropolis - the league is expanding.

A number of factors pushed *** commissioner Atsushi Saito to even consider expansion. The 2020 Olympics and the attention the Japanese national team garnered, the chance of an MLB lockout in 2022 and the resulting viewership from North America, and most importantly, pressure from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Regardless of what the drivers were, the announcement that the league would expand by two teams in 2022, and a further two teams in 2024 (the 90th anniversary of pro ball in Japan), sent the media into a frenzy.

Which cities would be given franchises? Who from the existing 12 would be exposed? And is the talent level sufficient to support a 16-team league?

The first question had a few possible answers:

Niigata would be an early frontrunner for a franchise, with the Komatsu corporation stepping up quickly to fund a team, and the existing ballpark already major league ready

Okinawa already tried to launch a pro team with the Ryukyu Blue Oceans, but with that club disbanded, a further bid would be seen as risky. The question is, who would sponsor the team? The ballpark is ready to go with a little expansion.

A team in Shikoku would make sense, with Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture close to Hiroshima and with a modern ballpark. The existing independent league on the island was making a stink about the threat to their survival, though...

And then there's the field - places like Nagano, Okayama, Aomori, Kumamoto, Kitakyushu, Shizuoka, and Nagasaki where 30,000-seat ballparks already exist and can be repurposed. Various issues with each of them, especially market size, can cause problems with a bid. Heck, even other cities in the Kansai region like Kyoto and Kobe could work, minus the territorial intrusion to the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes.

As the 2021 season dragged on, you could tell the evolution of the league from the sports dailies' headlines:

Honda's In - Will Sponsor Team in Ehime Prefecture
Shikoku Island League Launches Civil Suit to Protect Their Market from ***
Is Kirin Investing in ***? Rumours Swirl, Company Does Not Comment
Naha City Readies Bid for *** Expansion
Kyoto Confirms - No *** Expansion Plans
Okayama City Opens RFP for Muscat Stadium Expansion
Okinawa Government Announces Private Sector Support for *** Team in Naha
Chunichi Dragons Confirm - Shizuoka is Their Territory
BlueWave Fans Urge *** to Consider Kobe for Expansion

Ultimately, as the 2021 postseason started, four bids were selected as winners:

MATSUYAMA on Shikoku, owned by Honda
NIIGATA, with Komatsu owning the team
NAHA in Okinawa, owned by Kirin
SHIZUOKA...wait, what?

The selection of Shizuoka stunned most observers, as the team lacked a modern ballpark and a primary owner. Should the CL select the franchise, they'd also be intruding on the Chunichi Dragons' market in nearby Nagoya.

The loser of the Japan Series would get the first selection of the four bids to join their league, with the winner getting the next selection. That would turn out to be the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, who were swept by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

The expansion selections are to be made shortly. See below...

06-02-2020, 11:21 PM	#1
tehsuigi All Star Reserve Join Date: Sep 2019 Posts: 755	Midori no Ya! An * Expansion Dynasty This takes place in an alternate COVID-free universe. TOKYO - November 5, 2020 The celebrations taking place in Tokyo, as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles completed their Japan Series win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 5 games, were overshadowed by news from * headquarters elsewhere in the metropolis - the league is expanding. A number of factors pushed * commissioner Atsushi Saito to even consider expansion. The 2020 Olympics and the attention the Japanese national team garnered, the chance of an MLB lockout in 2022 and the resulting viewership from North America, and most importantly, pressure from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Regardless of what the drivers were, the announcement that the league would expand by two teams in 2022, and a further two teams in 2024 (the 90th anniversary of pro ball in Japan), sent the media into a frenzy. Which cities would be given franchises? Who from the existing 12 would be exposed? And is the talent level sufficient to support a 16-team league? The first question had a few possible answers: Niigata would be an early frontrunner for a franchise, with the Komatsu corporation stepping up quickly to fund a team, and the existing ballpark already major league ready Okinawa already tried to launch a pro team with the Ryukyu Blue Oceans, but with that club disbanded, a further bid would be seen as risky. The question is, who would sponsor the team? The ballpark is ready to go with a little expansion. A team in Shikoku would make sense, with Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture close to Hiroshima and with a modern ballpark. The existing independent league on the island was making a stink about the threat to their survival, though... And then there's the field - places like Nagano, Okayama, Aomori, Kumamoto, Kitakyushu, Shizuoka, and Nagasaki where 30,000-seat ballparks already exist and can be repurposed. Various issues with each of them, especially market size, can cause problems with a bid. Heck, even other cities in the Kansai region like Kyoto and Kobe could work, minus the territorial intrusion to the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes. As the 2021 season dragged on, you could tell the evolution of the league from the sports dailies' headlines: Honda's In - Will Sponsor Team in Ehime Prefecture Shikoku Island League Launches Civil Suit to Protect Their Market from * Is Kirin Investing in *? Rumours Swirl, Company Does Not Comment Naha City Readies Bid for * Expansion Kyoto Confirms - No * Expansion Plans Okayama City Opens RFP for Muscat Stadium Expansion Okinawa Government Announces Private Sector Support for * Team in Naha Chunichi Dragons Confirm - Shizuoka is Their Territory BlueWave Fans Urge *** to Consider Kobe for Expansion Ultimately, as the 2021 postseason started, four bids were selected as winners: MATSUYAMA on Shikoku, owned by Honda NIIGATA, with Komatsu owning the team NAHA in Okinawa, owned by Kirin SHIZUOKA...wait, what? The selection of Shizuoka stunned most observers, as the team lacked a modern ballpark and a primary owner. Should the CL select the franchise, they'd also be intruding on the Chunichi Dragons' market in nearby Nagoya. The loser of the Japan Series would get the first selection of the four bids to join their league, with the winner getting the next selection. That would turn out to be the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, who were swept by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. The expansion selections are to be made shortly. See below... Last edited by tehsuigi; 06-04-2020 at 10:49 PM.