Bobby Rose, a former Yokohama BayStars infielder, pulled out of a deal to play for the Chiba Lotte Marines for the upcoming season on Wednesday.
Rose, who had already signed a one-year, 80 million yen deal with the Pacific League club, appeared frustrated, citing his difficulty in readjusting to the game after a two-year hiatus.
He was scheduled to leave for the United States on Wednesday.
Rose, who joined the BayStars in 1993 and was crowned the Central League’s RBI king the same year, had been performing poorly in intra-squad games in the gear-up for 2003 season after returning to Japan for the first time in three years.
In his eight seasons with the BayStars, Rose captured the batting title once and the RBI crown two times. He was expected to play a central role in bolstering Lotte’s sluggish lineup.
Rose, 36, also reportedly said he was under stress because his family was having trouble adjusting to life in Japan and he returned to Tokyo from the team’s spring training camp in Kagoshima on Monday.
Rose helped lead the BayStars to their first Japan Series championship in 38 years in 1998. He was released after the 2000 season as the team was unwilling to pay his salary.
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