They call the baseball off-season the "Hot Stove League" but, this winter, it might be called the "Overheated Stove" or the "Microwave League." As predicted in this column a few weeks ago, the flurry of activity in December would be fast and furious, especially because of the delayed end to the Japan pro ball season and a more compact period of time in which to get deals done.
Player transactions including trades, team changes by free agents and Japanese players being posted for major league service happen each year, but this time we also have the evolution of the new Yokohama DeNA BayStars team and the unexpected turmoil in the front office of the Yomiuri Giants.
There was a strange series of events regarding the appointment of a manager for the BayStars. The Chunichi Sports paper reported at least three individuals turned down the job: former Yakult Swallows catcher and manager Atsuya Furuta, ex-BayStars and Seattle Mariners closer Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki and one-time Yomiuri Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates hurler Masumi Kuwata.