Verified answer

Probably not for several reasons

1) the baseball off-season is longer Nov-march 5 months for the champ vs hockey 3 1/2 months. Really happens because our playoffs are so long.

2) One of the sox players DiceK is from japan so its part of the showcase etc.

Not sure why other than that but I don't see it as such a big deal.

I have a quick question for you, in an earlier question you mentioned Dollard St Laurent as one of the heavy hitters, where you in the Hawks organization when he was there?

I met with Dollard recently, he still has a handshake like a vice. Some of his stories about how he and Doug Harvey would set up opposing forwards for a hit are a treat to listen to. He likes to to tell one where they decide to target this new kid Hull, to make a long story short- they decided maybe the kid did not need to be taught that lesson.

Edit:

Thanks LITY,

I could spend hours listening to him talk about those days, just sorry I never got to see some of those guys play. My earliest hockey memory is of the Flyers winning the cup- don't tell Bob.

More than likely..esp. being its baseball The 'American Past time' I'm not a baseball fan so I really don't know how those fans think; but then again I don't know why the Ducks fans were whining about it....

but I look at it from this point of view.

How would you feel if you were living in Korea, Russia Sweden (whereever) wanted to see the 'best' (or as said in every pro sport in U.S.) Players in the world in the top leauge weather Baseball, basketball, Hockey football whatever...& wanted to see a game? (not everyone can afford to travel overseas) some may have watched these players come up through their leauges & would want to watch them at the top. Sometimes its easier for those in the euro countries to jsut travel to each other than to here. (just like easier for us to travel between each state & to canada)

So therefore for any sport I have no problem with it, I do understand that the players etc may have a prob with jet lag etc. & I don't know maybe they don't give a break on the season tickets even when teams are abroad for opening season games. (that I WOULD have a problem with)

They already are. I spend a decent amount of time in the baseball section and the past couple weeks there has been alot of whining about this subject. Being (sadly) from New England I get it on the sports talk radio as well, about how "Its not fair" and "It throws the players off their routine". I thinks its garbage, the Yankees did it last year, the Dodgers are in China with the Padres, the NHL has done it, the NFL did it in London this year, its not new. It should be exciting for the players, but they look at it as a hassle, and the fans are bracing themselves for a slight early season let down because Schilling and Beckett are going to miss a little time.

Well, baseball does this every year and teams have come to expect that they'll be on a rotation to go overseas, so I doubt it. the protests will die down in the NHL after a few years of doing it too I bet.

And at least the NHL doesn't open in highly polluted outdoor environments.... Europe has nice air quality. China is from what I've heard, much closer to the hellhole side of things.

Oh, and baseball has twice as many games- so one or two games matters less to them.

Edit: so I just realized that the Sox are playing in Japan, not china. Dodgers and Giants are the teams for China....

Japan is still a long trip... especially for an east coast team.

A Lity question during my work day, how lucky am I? Maybe not that lucky, because I know nothing about baseball. I do know the Red Sox play in Fort Myers in the spring and Palms Park makes a yummy hot dog. From the little I know, I thought Yankee fans were the big complainers. Again, I am not so sure, and I don't see why anyone would care.

For starters, the Sox are playing in Japan, not China. I have been a die-hard fan of Boston since even before Suckner's infamous blunder in 1986 and am naturally thrilled at our recent success and the Yankees's failures (if you think otherwise look at my answers in the bb section) anyway chances are the Sox will complain about helping to represent MLB overseas, but as we are the team of the moment (take that Steinbrener!), they owe it to the sport and to Red Sox Nation to go, do well, and hopefully take in a little bit of the culture. Bobby Valentine can teach them the proper way to bow and a few words of japanese. I agree though that it's a way for MLB to tap into the Asian market for additional merchandise sales.

I don't know baseball fans that well since I really only follow football and hockey but I don't like that opening games are not played where the league is, it's not right. It's a money grab for the leagues where they can sell more hats, shirts etc. as well.

They are still complaning about the catch in the Super Bowl that the ball hit the ground so yeah I see Sox fans complaining about anything..They would complain if it was an away game in Minnesota.

I would guess that the Sox fans will complain more than the Ducks. Fans from Boston looooovvvveee to complain.

I like the fact that the NHL plays over sea. It is not just a Canadian or U.S. sport anymore.

The only way European fans or family's see some of the players from their county is either on TV or if they come here to see them.