Dice-K heading home

The Associated Press is reporting that the Red Sox are likely to start the 2008 season playing in Japan. It is uncertain who will be the opponent but the A's and Angel's are the early favorites. The Seattle Mariners are a long shot at this point, but i feel like they make the most sense. With Ichiro and Johjima, it seems like a logical match-up.

This is all well and good in terms of revenue for the club and exposure in the Far East, but i think it is an awful thing for the team itself. The trip to Japan is an extremely long one that could take a toll on the players. If their isn't an extra off-day or something like that, this could put the team at a huge disadvantage. I'll have more on this when it is finalized. For now, I'm going to be nervously optimistic about this proposition.