Japanese Baseball Postponed for 2nd time

The Nippon Baseball Commissioner in Japan announced that the 2020 Season would be delayed further during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This follows after Japan has experienced 2900+ confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. The NPBL Commissioner wanted the regular season to resume by April 24th; the indefinite delay indicates that the Nippon Professional Baseball League won’t continue until late summer. It should be noted that multiple sporting associations across Japan have extended their postponements with the cancellation of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

The Japanese Joint Coronavirus Task Force compiled together through a video conference, engaging in a meeting to determine the future of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. Atsushi Saito, the NBPL Commissioner, expressed that there wasn’t any other option than to delay the opening day extensively. When questioned on his decision, Saito expressed to reporters that things will become considerably worse and that everyone has to get prepared for these unprecedented circumstances.

It’s the 1st time that the twelve teams have engaged with each other since February 2020. The Japanese Joint Coronavirus Task Force worked with the Nippon Professional Baseball League to ensure this meeting was a collective agreement. The 1st and 2nd Divisions of NPB are suspended indefinitely until announcements on the remittance of the 2020 season are confirmed.

The NPB Chairman noted that it’d be challenging for organizers to restart the 2020 Season. He believes it’s unrealistic to think a 2020 Season will be conducted, with postponements most likely enforcing the ultimate termination of all professional matches. It’d be the 1st time in Nippon Professional Baseball history that a season had to be cancelled, with this league being created after World War Two.

Infected Players

Players with the Nippon Professional Baseball League have become infected with COVID-19. This includes three members with the Hanshin Tigers, who have been forced into self-isolation measures at disclosed medical facilities across Japan. Their condition is being determined by Moderate to Extreme symptoms, with the overwhelming majority listed as Moderate Level One. Recovery for these individuals won’t be an issue with anti-malarial drugs and antibiotic treatments. It should be noted that sixty-three individuals throughout the Japanese Republic have passed away from COVID-19. This number is a considerably low percentage in comparison to other nations worldwide.