Niihama-shi came within a game of winning the 2010 Neo-Tokyo Cup
You couldn't ask for a much better entryway into the LRS than the Niihama-shi Ghosts. The team that finished tied for the best record in the league and that came just two runs short of winning it all last year presents a plum opportunity. You've got stars like 3B
Nobuhito Hasegawa (2010 Shining Star Group Saiyu-shu-senshu (Outstanding hitter) winner) and 1B
Shigochiyo Memoto (2007 & 2009 Shining Star Group Saiyu-shu-senshu winner). You've got intriguing prospects like
Takeshi Hayashi and
Hidetada Nishida (both 2010 draftee third baseman with light tower power),
Tokugawa Hirano (a centerfielder - also a '10 draftee - with blinding speed), and
Takeji Iitsuka (one of the better SP prospects in the league). That all these players are Japanese-born and thus won't count against the league's foreigner limit is a huge plus.
That's not the end of it. The Ghosts play in the LRS's second-largest market. Their fans are incredibly passionate about the team, as evidenced by their league-leading gate revenue last season. A new owner should be able to leverage this support to maintain a sizeable payroll. Let's face it; it never hurts to have a little spare cash in your pocket!
What the Ghosts
don't have is an owner. This is where you come in. We'd like you to take control of the team and leave your mark on the franchise. Create a backstory for yourself. Are you playing as the billionaire owner of a famous sushi bar chain? Are you playing as the frustrated GM hamstrung by a meddling purse string-holder? Perhaps you're a lowly beat writer simply reporting on the affairs of the team? The choice is entirely yours.
All you need to do is fill out this form to get the ball rolling.