Hanshin Tigers

Kenji Johjima opted out of his contract and left two years which was worth a total of $15.8mil. I'm a little mixed about this move on moving back to Japanese baseball.

MLB is the standard and everything else is just a bat and ball. Every kid who steps onto the diamond dreams about one day being able to play in the bigs. I guess Johjima had his time in the bigs but leaving two years on the table is kind of stupid. Stay in the big leagues and enjoy your time because for most, sticking around in the majors is tough enough. MLB is where the big boys play and where everyone is striving to play but I guess he had reasons for going back home.

As usual, family and his love of everything Japan brought him back to Nippon Baseball. I can agree and completely understand if this was his reasoning but still, why would you give up two years just like that and head home. America isn't like Japan. In America, you can get anything you can get in Japan but that doesn't go the other way around. For those of you who have lived in Japan can back me on this one.

I guess he has his reasons for going home but I still can't understand the 2 years left part. This is the big leagues and no one can say that Nippon baseball is close to the bigs. On a side note, I get to see him up close and personal when he puts on the Hanshin Tigers uniform come 2010.