Pro and amateur organizations met today in order to continue discussions on what kind of training courses former professional players will need to take in order to earn licenses to coach amateur baseball.  Both sides have moved closer to a final agreement but still need to work out a number of minor issues, like how many applicants will be allowed to take the training courses during the first year.  The two sides will meet again on June 11.  If discussions continue to move along smoothly, decisions could be finalized during meetings on June 14 (Japan High School Baseball Federation board of directors and trustees meeting) and June 18 (Japan Student Baseball Association board of directors meeting).

Source: Sponichi 5/16/2013

The Japan Student Baseball Association met on Friday (May 10) to determine punishments for the following cases:

Game Suspensions

Sagamihara Seiryo (Kanagawa) - smoking within the club - from April 13, 2013 to July 6, 2013

Josai Daigaku Fuzoku Josai (Tokyo) - violence within the club - one month beginning on April 16, 2013

Hajima (Tokyo) - bullying within the club - one month beginning on May 1, 2013

Suspensions

Taishi (Hyogo) manager - violence - six months beginning on April 8, 2013

Chikuyo Gakuen (Fukuoka) manager - violence - three months beginning on April 30, 2013

Tanabe (Kyoto) manager - violence and delayed report - three months beginning on April 11, 2013

Toyama Hokubu (Toyama) manager - violence and delayed report - three months beginning on March 5, 2013

Shimizu Nishi (Shizuoka) manager - violence and delayed report - one month beginning on April 8, 2013

Izu Chuo (Shizuoka) manager - violence and delayed report - one month beginning on April 9, 2013

Ota Kogyo (Gunma) director - violence and delayed report - one month beginning on April 18, 2013

Kobe Suzurandai (Hyogo) manager - violence and delayed report - four months beginning on May 1, 2013

Murayama Nogyo (Yamagata) manager - violence and delayed report - one month beginning on April 15, 2013

Kakegawa Kogyo (Shizuoka) - violence and delayed report - one month beginning on April 2, 2013

Shoyo (Kumamoto) manager and director - violence and delayed report - one month beginning on May 2, 2013

Yatsushiro (Kumamoto) manager - violence and delayed report - one month beginning on May 2, 2013

Mimomi (Chiba) manager - violence and delayed report - six months beginning on April 22, 2013

Chikushi (Fukuoka) manager - violence and delayed report - one month beginning on May 7, 2013

Samukawa (Kanagawa) manager - violence and delayed report - three months beginning on April 19, 2013

Kobe Suzurandai (Hyogo) director - delayed report - three months beginning on May 6, 2013

Source: Jiji Press 5/10/2013

An upper class PL Gakuen student was caught physically abusing a lower class student on February 23. The high school decided to withdrew from the spring Osaka tournament and was later issued a six-month suspension by Japan Student Baseball Association.  The media learned today that Arimichi Kono (64) stepped down as manager to take responsibility for the incident.  A replacement has yet to be named.

Source: Sponichi 4/28/2013

Pro and amateur baseball organizations met on Friday to discuss specifics about the training courses pro players will need to take in order to earn licenses that will allow them to coach at the amateur level.

Some take-aways taken from various articles:

• The pro side would like to see the courses opened up to about 1,000 candidates in the first year.  The amateur side wants to start with anywhere between 70 to 100.
• The training course will be organized by both pro and amateur organizations.
• The first training course could be held in November at two locations: Tokyo and Osaka (500 openings each).  The course will be offered over a three day period in five-hour segments each day.  For all intents and purposes, everyone that takes the course will pass.
• There will be some sort of a test, or multiple kinds of tests (written/aptitude).
• After candidates have taken courses held by both pro and amateur organizations, they will take a three-day training program in February.  Candidates that have taken all the courses will be listed on the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association website.
• Deliberations will continue into May.  The biggest problem right now is the number of candidates to allow.

Source: jiji press 4/26/2013, Sponichi 4/26/2013, Sports Hochi 4/27/2013, Sponichi 4/27/2013, Daily Sports 4/27/2013

The first steering committee meeting for the 95th Summer Koshien was held in Osaka today.

Among some of the decisions that were made:

• Quarterfinals games will be played on one day instead of two.  The extra day will be used as an off-day.  The change was made in order to even the schedule out for all teams remaining in the quarterfinals -- with games split over two days, teams that played on the second day of the quarterfinals and made it to the finals had to play three games in a row while teams that played on the first day of the quarterfinals and made it to the finals got a day off before playing two in a row.  This will be the first time a day off is scheduled during the tournament.  The two-day quarterfinal scheduling was introduced in 2003.  Note: the off-day will be canceled if there are three or more rain-outs during the tournament.
• On days there are four games, the first game will begin at 8:00am.  The Semifinals will begin at 11:00am and the Finals at 12:00pm.
• Since 1995, brackets through to the 3rd Round were decided in advance.  Beginning this season, captains from winning teams will begin participating in bracket drawings after the 1st Round.
• Initial brackets will be decided at the Festival Hall in Osaka on August 5.
• Ticket prices will go up: special non-reserved center seats will go from 1,600 to 2,000 yen; special non-reserved seats on the first and third base sides will go from 1,200 yen to 1,500 yen; Alps seats will go from 500 yen to 600 yen.

Source: Daily Sports 4/25/2013, Nikkan Sports 4/25/2013, Sponichi 4/25/2013, Sports Hochi 4/25/2013

Players on the girls baseball team at Fukuchiyama Seibu High School have been instructed to keep hair out of the faces during practices/games by keeping their hair short (especially the front).  The media learned on Sunday that a number of third-year players cut the front hairs of about forty first- and second-year students.  The third-year players were issued warnings by the high school for acts that went too far.

According to the high school, on the evening of April 9, forty-two first- and second-year players had their front hair cut by third-year students.  The 9th also happened to be the first day of school for first-year students.  The next day, faculty noticed the unnatural-looking hair cuts.  The third-year students reportedly told faculty that they were just making sure everyone was following the rules.

Source: Daily Sports 4/22/2013, Sponichi 4/21/2013

The Japan Student Baseball Association (JSBA) held a review meeting today and decided issued a six month suspension to PL Gakuen for violence within the team.  The suspension will run from February 24 to August 23.  PL Gakuen will not be able to compete in the Osaka Tournament for the Summer Koshien.

According to reports, a number of second year students physically abused a first year student in the school dormitory on February 23.  The first year student did not suffer any severe injuries, but was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Source: Daily Sports 4/9/2013

UPDATE @ 8:51pm - Nikkan Sports has additional details...

The incident in question took place around 10:00pm on February 23.  Two second year students (now third year students) called two first year students (now second year students) to a room inside the school dorm.  One of the second year students told one of the two first year students to make fun of the other second year student.  The first year student reluctantly complied and was then hit and kicked by the second year student he teased.

The second year took the same first year student to another second year student and repeated the same thing.  The first year student was beaten again, but this time even worse than the first time.  The first year student began convulsing and had to be taken away in an ambulance.

The JSBA decided on a six month suspension because they felt it was a blatant case of bullying.

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/9/2013

The Japan High School Baseball Federation released their first preliminary roster for the IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship (August 30-September 8).  Additional players, about twenty, will be selected after the Summer Koshien.

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Preliminary Roster

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Source: Mainichi News 4/3/2013

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