The Tokyo Bypass
On the verge of making it to the big leagues? Every year? For years? Some players consider making the other big league... in Japan. Does being a minor leaguer gives you a leg up in the land of the rising sun? Hi!

Al Doyle
MLNSportsZone.com

What can the veteran AAA player who seems to be eternally blocked from a big league job do to increase his baseball income, or get a shot with a different club? The solution may be half a world away.

"If you think you're going to be stuck in AAA, you can go make some money in Japan," said former Brewers lefty Brian Givens, who pitched for the Seibu Lions in 1997. "It can be pretty lucrative if you do well. "

The Gaijin

Japanese teams usually have three foreign-born players on their rosters.  That sometimes includes lower-paid Taiwanese or South Korean natives.

The bulk of the gaijin, which literally means “barbarians,” an often derisive term for foreigners, are from America, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
 
Not every AAA lifer or marginal major leaguer is going to be a prospect for the Hiroshima Carp or Chunichi Dragons.

Catchers can forget about Nippon, as they won't be able to communicate with pitchers, infielders and the manager.

Middle infielders with weak bats are common in Japan, so there's no need to import a .224 hitter who can flash the leather.  
 
Pitchers find work in Japan, but the perpetual shortage of arms in American baseball also means that they often stay home.

Usually, it is the outfielders and corner infielders that can drive the long ball who find Japanese contracts under the Christmas tree, as the locals still tend to have less thunder in their bats than the gaijin.

Continued...

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