Professional baseball Impact on baseball teams based in 7 prefectures due to suspension of activities, etc. April 7 19:51
With the rapid spread of the new coronavirus in urban areas, professional baseball teams in seven prefectures subject to the Declaration of Emergency have been affected by the suspension of team activities and postponement of resumption of general training. I am.
Professional baseball was scheduled to begin on March 20 at first, but with the spread of the new coronavirus continuing, the opening date has been postponed and it is extremely difficult to carry out the regular season 143 games on schedule Situation.
Following the declaration of emergency on July 7, some teams needed to take new measures.
The seven prefectures subject to the declaration of emergency include Yakult, Giants, DeNA and Hanshin in the SE League.
The Pa League is home to eight teams, including Seibu, Orix, Softbank and Lotte.
In the league, Yakult has decided to suspend the team from the 8th to the 12th of this month.
The giants are voluntarily practicing at the Giants Stadium in Kawasaki City, but we will postpone the resumption of general training that was aimed at this month and extend the period of voluntary training.
DeNA has extended the period of independent practice to the end of this month.
In Hanshin, three players, including pitcher Shintaro Fujinami, became infected with the new coronavirus and suspended team activities from 26th of last month.
In the Pa League, Seibu conducted voluntary training at the team facilities on the 6th and 7th, but discussions have been held on the 8th and subsequent days.
ORIX will be conducting a voluntary exercise until this month, but we will consider extending this.
SoftBank team activities were suspended until the 8th, and voluntary training was conducted from the 9th to the 17th of this month.
Lotte has decided to suspend the team's activities on the 7th and 8th.
It is undecided after 9 days.
In the four baseball teams that are not subject to the emergency declaration, Hiroshima conducts team practice by dividing the players on the 8th and 9th hours, and it has not been decided since 11th of this month.
On the middle day, independent practice will resume from the 8th, but practice will be divided by time.
Nippon Ham will continue to practice independently. Rakuten has suspended team activities for the time being.
Saito Commissioner Message to fans and players
In response to the emergency declaration, professional baseball commissioner Atsushi Saito issued a message to fans and players.
Saito said, “Unfortunately, the situation is not in an optimistic situation. We have received a severe forecast from experts and have re-extended the event. The decision was made by the director, players, officials and fans. Thank you very much for your warm understanding, and in response to the Declaration of Emergency, we, the 12 professional baseball teams and the Japan Baseball Team, will continue to borrow the power of experts, We will work together to overcome the difficulties and to realize a day when we can perform with joy as a national sport, professional baseball. "
Japan Baseball Organization decides the opening date from late this month to early next month
NPB = Atsushi Ihara, Executive Secretary of the Japan Baseball Organization, said on the evening of the evening on the Web that each company reported on the news, "It is within the expected range that an emergency declaration will be issued for a month. There will be no change in the policy of setting the opening date from late this month to early next month.
Regarding the activities of each team, he said, `` Although voluntary training is the main focus, we can thoroughly prevent infection at the discretion of the team, and we can also practice the whole team, '' he said, noting that he will not keep pace. Was.
Following the declaration of emergency, the NPB office in the building in Minato-ku, Tokyo will be closed for the time being, and employees will be working from home.