The players union met with management representatives on Friday to discuss delaying the start of the 2017 season on account of the World Baseball Classic.
Nippon Professional Baseball has settled on a March 31 start for next season, but the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association would like that pushed back to allow players on NPB’s team to the WBC to better prepare for the start of the season.
“We have listened to the players’ opinions, but we alone will make the final decision,” said Kiyoaki Suzuki, the Hiroshima Carp’s general manager, who represented NPB in the meeting.
The final dates and venues for the WBC have yet to be announced by the tournament’s organizers.
The union also made a suggestion about NPB’s much-maligned new collision guidelines. NPB is looking into revising them for the starter of the second half of the season, and the players association suggested that the all-star games be used to try out the modifications.
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