After initially denying that any changes had been made despite an explosion in the number of home runs this season, Nippon Professional Baseball on June 11 admitted that it had made the standardized ball used this season livelier than before and apologized for making such a change without notifying players. Clearly NPB has betrayed the trust of players and fans. NPB commissioner Mr. Ryozo Kato and other NPB officials should take the matter seriously.
The NPB's betrayal is serious all the more because despite the suspicions this season, it had continued to deny that a change was made to the ball. NPB also had told ball maker Mizuno to keep silent about the change. It made the admission on June 11 only after the association of players pressed it to tell the truth.
Although Mr. Kato, a former ambassador to the United States, insists that he was not aware of the change, he must accept responsibility for this scandal. Under the leadership of Mr. Kato, NPB introduced a "standardized" ball in 2011 to make balls used in Japan's pro baseball games less lively than before, putting it on the same level as the baseball used in international competition such as the World Baseball Classic.