Evan Weiner

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The world may be falling apart ... but American baseball teams are more popular than ever overseas

http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | With terrorist alerts, a looming war in Iraq and questions about North Korea's intent, baseball is getting ready for a season which includes a trip to Japan.

Sports is a global business, tennis, golf, cricket, soccer players along with track and field athletes have been traveling to trouble spots for years. But baseball players have never been to hot spots, unless you count the Cuban revolution in 1959- 60 and this winter's problems in Venezuela.

The Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners are scheduled to open the season in Japan and that may become a security nightmare. Japan could be targeted by North Korea if hostilities continue to elevate between the Bush administration and the Kim Jong Il regime.

There is no area in life immune to the world's situation as all of sports is finding out. but there is also an old adage which says the show must go on, even with code orange alerts, wars and other threats. And that is one of the reasons baseball is headed to Japan trying to claim its slice of the global marketing pie.

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JWR contributor Evan Weiner is a radio commentator on "The Business of Sports" for Westwood One's Metro Networks. Comment on this column by clicking here.

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