BIG LEAGUE BASEBALLS.com | MUSEUM OF BASEBALLS | OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL | 2006 Japan All-Star Series Baseball
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About the Ball: The Rawlings 2006 Japan All-Star Series baseball. This is the last ball in the biennial series that had taken place in the fall in Japan since 1986 (minus the 1994 strike-shortened season). The ball is an Official Selig-stamped Rawlings Major League Game Ball, featuring a commemorative logo with Japanese and English writing.
About the Series: The 2006 Japan All-Star Series pitted a collection Major League Baseball stars against the stars of the Nippon Professional Baseball League of Japan. The MLB swept the series, 5-0. It was the 10th and final installment of this series, which has since been replaced by the World Baseball Classic.
It's also been rumored that Japan chose to discontinue the series because of unbalanced player payouts. MLB players were receiving upwards of $40,000 while Japan All-Stars were apparently getting only a few thousand dollars apiece, according to a source.
Photo contributed by BigLeaugeBaseballs.com member Matt Felix.
