One photo and one report circulating in the press last week brought up the subject of players happier who are playing for the Yomiuri Giants and those who insist on working only for Japan's most storied club.
The photo was of smiling Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters manager Masataka Nashida with his arms around two guys just acquired in a trade from Yomiuri — infielder Tomohiro Nioka and lefty pitcher Masanori Hayashi.
The expressions on the faces of both players, in contrast with the grinning Nashida, make it appear each had just been sentenced to a long prison term. To put it simply, they did not look happy.