A’s To Open 2012 In Japan

It’s official. The Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners will open the 2012 season in Japan’s Tokyo Dome on March 28-29. According to the A’s official team website, the team will spend nine days in Japan, playing in exhibition games against Japan teams as well. The two games in Japan will count, according to the A’s site, as home games for Oakland.

The opening in Tokyo should be an exciting experience for both Seattle and Oakland, and the series could be a mega-hit in Japan. There is a possibility that the series could feature Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui, a storyline that many fans in Japan could find highly intriguing and exciting. Both Suzuki and Matsui are mega-stars in Japan, and if the two are playing against each other, this opening series could be big.

Oakland would need to bring Matsui back next season, however, for such an event to take place. Matsui, 37, is an eligible free agent after this season, and while he’s posted decent numbers this year, many figure that “Godzilla” is nearing the end of his playing days. The A’s have shown an interest in bringing Matsui back for another season, but nothing is set in stone.

For more information on the A’s trip to Japan, visit the team’s official website.