Interesting. Are there any articles that cover that angle of this?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/sports/baseball/20pitcher.html?_r=0Many Japanese baseball officials are outraged that United States teams are courting Tazawa, a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, because they insist it is long-established practice for amateurs like him to be strictly off limits to major league clubs. Even some American general managers, including the Yankees’ Brian Cashman, agree.
Of course, if you read on... the MLB doesn't seem to care if you do it or not... but I know the Japanese seem to think it as some sort of an unwritten agreement.
