Japanese baseball season to start June 19

There will be no fans in the stands when the Nippon Professional Baseball
league opens play.

"I am very pleased we could settle on an Opening Day," commissioner Atsushi
Saito said Monday in a virtual news conference. "But we will prepare. It is
important to proceed carefully to protect the players, the people connected
with the game and their families. We have created detailed guidelines so we
can safely hold games."

He said there is no timetable for fans returning to games.

"We have been solely focused on whether or not we could even hold games
without fans," he said. "When the situation gets better, of course we will be
able to think about fans at games, but we are not having detailed discussions
about it. When we get to that stage, then we will carefully consider the
necessary guidance to do so."

Teams will play 120 games, but the league is expected to overhaul the planned
schedule to minimize travel. Preseason games will begin June 2.

--Field Level Media