European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 01, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sports scene nation Pas by Don Sawato a staff writer a japanese is Likely to hesitate when asked the name of the National sport in his country. He would patriotically be inclined today sumo wrestling. It s the traditional japanese Spectator sport in which two mountainous men meet with a crunch of Bone muscle and fat. Each attempts to thrust the other outside a circular ring or topple him to the dirt floor. But to  he would have to admit that the Best attended athletic contest in Japan is  in Early Spring and continuing until Winter makes baseball impossible kids teen agers and grownups swarm vacant lots As Well As the regularly Laid out diamonds found in almost every neighbourhood on the four islands of Japan. And the cry of up Ray Boru is heard throughout the  Japan Spring and summer High school baseball championships Are nationally televised As Are College and nonprofessional intercity  the professional level the two six team leagues Rake in More Money than any other sporting event including horse  crowds of 30,000 at a stadium for a routine weekend game Are the Rule rather than the exception. Last year the two leagues Pacific and Cen trial Drew 8,350,743 spectators. Just like their counterparts across the Pacific japanese kids dream of be coming big league  reasons Are the same Fortune and athletic Fame however fleeting one or both May be. Of japanese pros draw fantastic salaries for a country where the wage scale is considerably behind Fiat of . Payrolls Are not officially Dis closed but like in America they Are pretty generally known top pros make from $40,000 to $1 9,000 for a sum Mer s work. This of course enables them to live i spacious Homes in crowded Japan and drive big shiny foreign cars making them objects of envy and admiration. The High salaries Are one reason Jap anese Ball players do not seek employ ment in the american big leagues. An other is that they Are captives of club owners much like american Ballplay ers. Masanori Murakami was the first japanese to break into the american major leagues As a Relief Pitcher forthe san Francisco giants he had a 44 record in 1965.but after a lengthy Legal dispute with is japanese club the Vankal Hawks and reportedly partly because he was homesick Murakami returned to has Parent organization. However he was a disappointment Back Home unable for some reason to regain his eld form two american professors at sap Oro agricultural College in Northern Japan introduced be sport to Japan 92years ago but it did not Start to gain really wide popularity until to e 1930s.each japanese team is permitted two Page 16 Nandory Spencer played with cards giants and dodgers before moving to Japan. Dick Stuart now a  whale. Foreign usually american , not All teams employ the limit. Two the Central  giants and the Pacific league Nish Tetsu Lions have none. And the giants Are somewhat like the new York Yankees used to be the perennial champions. Like the japanese . Players Sal Aries Are not disclosed but among the Best known . Players Are Daryl Spencer of the Hanky braves Dick Stuart of the Taiyo whales and Lou Jackson of the Sansei atoms. Spencer reportedly makes $40,000, Stuart $30,000 and Jackson reportedly stes a 9�ptract f five years at a$30,000 minimum with bonuses that could reach $50,000. The americans travel with their Jap anese teammates on Intra Japan air planes but live in different hotels Western style while the japanese pre Fer their own Ryo kans. One of the interesting difference sin japanese baseball is that the Man of rf1 / ,pr3w8p�l baseball Thamisn t fired if Bis club takes a nosedive in the league standings. He just goes away for a rest and returns to work when he boys Start winning , a former dodger giant and Cardinal player in the american big leagues rates japanese pro Ball some where Between class a and triple a inthe states. He says there really is no com Parison Between american and Japa Nese Ball. The americans Are much big Ger and have to play harder and better or get sent Back Down to the  recalls that . Minor league ers Are always hustling to break into the big leagues but in Japan there Are not enough Young standouts to replace aging veterans. There is just not enough Competition to Force the Young sters to Hustle and beat the other buyout for a spot Spencer says. Spencer is playing his sixth season with the Hanky braves last year s Pacific league champions. And he notes that americans win Ning or losing tend to play their Best until the last out but he says the local boys get downhearted when their team is behind and sometimes they Don make an Effort to drive in that extra  Many japanese players just Don t put on the pressure steadily. Theydon t try to beat out an infield grounder. They just Trot to  s biggest criticism is directed at the Man behind the plate umpires Here Luck authority and judgment. Sometimes the chief Umpire changes his decision when a manager a group of players protests a close Call. He then holds a conference with his Field umpires and if they outvoted in he changes his  Stuart a nine year Veteran of the american big leagues agrees. Umpires Are just like players he  have their Good Days and bad Days but Bere they Are More inconsistent than in the . Stuart says he is appalled at the stat of most dressing rooms. He complains that they Are smelly and unsanitary by american standards. Teammates and club officials a every kind to me and my family. The food is Good and to Don t have an trouble finding Western style  Stuart  Roberts 32-year-old former Baltimore Oriole said of boy How miss the infield greens. In ticklers can t pick up Many grounders since there Sno grass to slow them  Only two japanese professional Dia monds both in Tokyo have grass in Fields. The other 11 Are  Jackson a favorite of Central league Sansei atoms fans because of his batting and base running prowess said one thing i find strange in japans that each has its own cheerleaders like you see at a High school or Colleg football game in the states. All the fans rooting for one specific team sit in one Section and the other team s followers sit in  thing All american players Here agree on this is a place where the can earn High wages for admittedly diminishing skills and add a few years to their playing careers. Murakami was first japanese to play in . Major league. The stars and stripes sunday september i