American Players Flee Country, Abandoning Japanese Pro Baseball Teams

[AsahinaKimi]

The Nippon Professional Baseball League has placed Brent Leach of the Yokohama Baystars and Brian Bannister of the Yomiuri Giants on its restricted list after both players fled Japan following the March 11th earthquake.

Brent Leach left the country on March 17th, claiming that he was suffering from emotional stress. On the 31st, he contacted his team, telling them that he could not return to Japan due to feelings of insecurity about life in Japan and opposition from his family. According to Nikkan Sports, up until his decision to flee, Leach was earning a little over $2,300 a day.

Brian Bannister left the country on March 15th, claiming that his family was worried about him and he needed to be safe.

Given their geographic distance from actual earthquake damage and timing of their exits, it probably wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that their exodus was prompted by fears about radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

http://www.japanprobe.com/2011/04/04/american-players-flee-country-abandoning-japanese-pro-baseball-teams/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JapanProbe+%28Japan+Probe%29

[El Supremo]

1. WTF?

The Yomiuri Giants play at the Tokyo Dome. Now if they lived near Sendai, I would understand.