Horace Wilson introduced baseball to Japan in 1872. He was a teacher at the Kaisei School in Tokyo.

Japan's first ever baseball team was named the Shimbashi Athletic Club and was established in 1878.

Japan's professional baseball association is called Nippon Professional Baseball. Like Major League baseball in the United States, Japanese pro baseball has two leagues. The Central and Pacific Leagues each consisting of six teams.

The Pacific League uses the designated hitter style of play. The pro baseball season is eight months long with games beginning in April, and a Championship held in October. Teams play 144 games, as compared to the 162 games of the American major league teams.

Professional Japanese baseball rules are similar to those of US Major League Baseball. However, here are some peculiarities of Japanese baseball:

• tie games are allowed
• a smaller baseball
• smaller strike zone
• smaller playing field

The Japanese baseball is wound more tightly and is harder than an American baseball. The strike zone is narrower "inside" than away from the batter. Also, five Nippon league teams have undersized home fields. A controversial rule also allows a team to have no more than four foreign players, limiting the cost and competition for expensive players of other nationalities and races.

In the international baseball scene, Japan has won the World Baseball Classic both times since the tournament was created. In the 2006 World Baseball Classic, they defeated Cuba in the finals and in 2009 World Baseball Classic they defeated South Korea in 10 innings to defend their title.

Betting on Baseball

A baseball bet is made by laying or taking money odds. It is based primarily on moneylines, and with its relative simplicity, betting on baseball offers the bettor some of the easiest money to be made. The minus (-) indicates the favorite; the plus (+) indicates the underdog. On money odds whenever there is a minus (-), you lay that amount to win a dollar; where there is a plus (+) you get that amount for every dollar wagered.

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