ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the contest between Horie Takafumi of Livedoor and Mikitani Hiroshi of Rakuten to start the new Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) franchise in Sendai. The Buffaloes, BlueWave Preservation Society collects its last signatures before giving way to a new fan organization. The scandal surrounding Meiji University pitcher Ichiba causes two more Central League team owners to resign. Tsutsumi Yoshiaki of Seibu also resigns due to a corporate scandal. Daiei finally declares bankruptcy and Son Masayoshi of Softbank announces his intention to buy the Fukuoka Hawks. NPB owners give Mikitani the nod to start the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Son Masayoshi negotiates the purchase of the Hawks, which is approved by NPB owners on December 24. The crisis in Japanese professional baseball subsides.
