Full Roster Announced for Japan All-Star Series 2014
MLB Network to Exclusively Televise Each Game of Series Live in the U.S.
Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association today announced the full squad of players who have been named to the MLB All-Star Team to be led by Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell during the upcoming Japan All-Star Series 2014. The Japan All-Star Series 2014 will feature MLB All-Stars traveling to Japan next week to play a five-game series against "Samurai Japan" (Japan's National Team).
The 29-man roster consists of 14 pitchers, three catchers, seven infielders, three outfielders and two infielders/outfielders. The pitching staff includes (alphabetically) Jeff Beliveau (TB); Jerry Blevins (WSH); 2006 All-Star Chris Capuano (NYY); Randy Choate (STL); Jeremy Guthrie (KC); Tommy Hunter (BAL); Tokyo native and 2013 All-Star Hisashi Iwakuma (SEA); 2013 All-Star Mark Melancon (PIT); Franklin Morales (COL); Hector Santiago (LAA); Matt Shoemaker (LAA); Jose Veras (HOU); Aichi native Tsuyoshi Wada (CHI); and Rob Wooten (MIL).
The three catchers are Drew Butera (LAD), Erik Kratz (KC) and two-time All-Star Salvador Perez (KC), while the position players consist of 2014 AL Batting Champion and two-time All-Star Jose Altuve (HOU); six-time All-Star Robinson Cano (SEA); Chris Carter (HOU); Lucas Duda (NYM); Alcides Escobar (KC); Dexter Fowler (HOU); three-time All-Star Evan Longoria (TB); 2014 NL Batting Champion and four-time All-Star Justin Morneau (COL); Eduardo Nunez (MIN); 2014 All-Star Yasiel Puig (LAD); Carlos Santana (CLE); and two-time All-Star Ben Zobrist (TB).
All-Star Series games will be hosted in Osaka (Kyocera Dome), Tokyo (Tokyo Dome) and Sapporo (Sapporo Dome). Two exhibition games will complement the five-game series, with one game in Osaka (Koshien Stadium) and the other in Okinawa (Okinawa Cellular Stadium). Tickets for the Japan All-Star Series 2014 are currently available at http://l-tike.com/mlbjp/.
MLB Network will exclusively televise every game of the Japan All-Star Series live in the United States, beginning with the exhibition game on Tuesday, November 11th at 4:00 a.m. (ET). MLB.TV subscribers also will be able to watch every game live and on-demand across any of its supported devices, including via the MLB.com At Bat app. The games will be called live by a rotating on-air team of MLB Network announcers that includes play-by-play by Paul Severino and analysis from Mark DeRosa and Darryl Hamilton. Each game will re-air later the same day at 9:00 p.m. (ET). For more information regarding MLB Network's coverage, please visit http://m.mlb.com/network/shows/?id=live_games.
| DATE | MLB NETWORK BROADCAST TIME (Live/Re-Air) | GAME INFORMATION |
| Tuesday, November 11th | 4:00 a.m. / 9:00 p.m. | Exhibition Game vs. Hanshin Tigers / Yomiuri Giants at Koshien (Severino & DeRosa) |
| Wednesday, November 12th | 4:00 a.m. / 9:00 p.m. | Game #1 at Kyocera Dome, Osaka (Severino & DeRosa) |
| Friday, November 14th | 4:00 a.m. / 9:00 p.m. | Game #2 at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo (Severino & Hamilton) |
| Saturday, November 15th | 4:00 a.m. / 9:00 p.m. | Game #3 at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo (Severino & Hamilton) |
| Sunday, November 16th | 4:00 a.m. / 9:00 p.m. | Game #4 at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo (Severino & DeRosa) |
| Tuesday, November 18th | 5:00 a.m. / 9:00 p.m. | Game #5 at Sapporo Dome, Sapporo (Severino & DeRosa) |
| Thursday, November 20th | 4:00 a.m. / 9:00 p.m. | Exhibition Game vs. Team Japan, Okinawa (Severino & DeRosa) |
In Japan, NTV, TV Asahi and TBS will share the live game broadcasts with NTV airing each of the first four games of the series (November 11th-15th), TV Asahi broadcasting the game on November 16th and TBS covering each of the final two games (November 18th-20th).
Outside of Japan and the United States, coverage of the Japan All-Star Series will also be provided by broadcast partners around the world, including MBC Sports+ (South Korea); Fox Sports Asia (Pan-Asia); Fox Sports Europe (Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta); Fox Sports Latin America (Pan-Latin America); ESPN Pac Rim (Australia, New Zealand); RDS (Canada); and UTS (Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten, Bonaire).