Devil Dish

 by Steven Falkenhagen
 published on Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Major League Baseball started the 2008 season on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.

Over the past week, a flurry of opinions emerged over whether this was a smart decision.

Those who support the move say that it is a good exchange of culture. Those who are able to catch one or both of the games receive the privilege of seeing the world's best baseball players exercise their craft. In return, the baseball players get to imbibe themselves into the Japanese culture, if they so desire.

But there are others who oppose the move. Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield said that he still felt "tired and jetlagged" after crossing multiple time zones. Former Yankees pitcher Kevin Brown claims that he picked up an intestinal parasite from food that he ate in Japan for the New York vs. Tampa series in 2004. And some say that New York's slow start in '04 stemmed from recovering from the trip.

I'm aligned with the detractors. The health risks and potential for such an undertaking to influence a team's win-loss record outweighs the benefits of a cultural exchange.

MLB has sent teams to Japan in the offseason and I feel that's the only time they should send teams to Japan.