Nippon Professional Baseball said Monday it will abolish a rule that forces amateurs who skipped its draft to pursue an immediate career overseas to wait two or three seasons after returning to Japan before they are eligible to play in NPB.
Former Boston Red Sox right-hander Junichi Tazawa stirred controversy in 2008 when he declared he would go straight to the majors from Nippon Oil in the corporate league, leading to the introduction of the rule aimed at preventing other top amateur prospects following suit.
Infamously known as the "Tazawa Rule," it ensured players who headed overseas straight after high school were ineligible to play in NPB for three years upon their return home, while those who headed offshore as university or corporate league players were banned for two years.