http://tinyurl.com/454zqsz
The Mariners will get a change of scenery for Opening Day next season.
Instead of opening the 2012 season at the Oakland Athletics for the third
straight year, the teams will meet at the Tokyo Dome for a two-game series
March 28-29.
The rest of the league is set to open the season April 6.
“The Seattle Mariners are proud to represent Major League Baseball and open
the 2012 regular season in Japan against the Oakland Athletics,” Mariners
President Chuck Armstrong said in a news release. “More Mariners games have
been televised in Japan over the past 10 years than any other MLB team, so
the fans there will be familiar with us. This will be a memorable experience
for our players and our organization.”
It will be the first opener in Japan since the Boston Red Sox and Athletics
in 2008.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier this month that the Major League
Baseball Players Association has spoken to the Mariners and the Athletics
about the trip.
The American League West rivals were scheduled to open the season in Tokyo in
2003, but the trip was canceled at the last minute because of the U.S. plans
to invade Iraq.
The teams have two of Japan’s most popular athletes in Ichiro Suzuki and
Hideki Matsui.
The 2012 series could be the last chance for Ichiro and Matsui to play in
front of their home fans as major league baseball players. Ichiro is entering
the final year of his contract and Matsui is a free agent, but is expected to
return to the A’s as a designated hitter.
The trip could also be the first and only chance for Mariners majority owner
Hiroshi Yamauchi to see his team play live. The Nintendo founder has never
traveled to the United States to see the Mariners play.
MLB官方正式宣布，2012年3月28~29日水手與運動家將在東京巨蛋進行例行賽的開幕戰
這也是自08年紅襪對運動家後再度於日本進行球季的開幕戰
據傳綠帽有興趣與松井續約，屆時將有機會看到松井與一朗回家鄉打球