ABSTRACT
The conclusion describes how Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles lose 97 games their first season but make money. The fates of the principal actors and their organizations are updated. New management for NPB teams makes most of them, if not profitable, at least not the loss leaders they were. In appearance, pro baseball in Japan was unchanged by the crisis, but subtle transformations have made it much more viable and preserved it for further change. Japan's postwar political economy underwent a similar transition during the Lost Decade. The continuities are glaring (Liberal Democratic Party [LDP] rule for instance) but an environment where further change remains possible endures. Yet, how much better would things have gone if the iron triangle had enlisted the Japanese people as partners.
