Japan's professional baseball players' association will go on strike for the first time if owners go ahead with a proposed merger of two teams later this week, the group's leader said Monday.
Atsuya Furuta, chairman of the professional baseball players' association, answers questions from the media at a hotel in Kobe about the association's decision to call a strike should the planned merger between the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes go ahead.
The players decided at a meeting that if their demand to suspend the merger between the Pacific League's Orix BlueWave and Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes is not met, they will refuse to play, said Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta, who heads the association.