In this study, we analyzed the kinematic characteristics of various types of baseball pitches by elite baseball pitchers, and tested a null hypothesis that “no type of pitch has the same kinematic characteristics as another.”
 A high-speed video camera was used to record the initial trajectory of the pitched ball thrown by 84 skilled baseball pitchers. Each pitcher was asked to throw all the different types of pitch he would use in competition and practice, and to self-declare the type of pitch used for each throw. The kinematic characteristics of each pitched ball were analyzed as ball speed, the direction of the spin axis, and the spin rate. A custom-made device was used to analyze the direction of the spin axis and the spin rate, and the ball speed was measured with a radar gun. One-way ANOVA with the Games-Howell post hoc test was used to test the hypothesis.
 The total of 364 pitches were categorized into 11 self-declared pitch types. Four of 10 pitch types thrown by more than one pitcher - the four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and cutter - had unique kinematic characteristic distinct from all of the other pitch types. No significant differences were found in any of the kinematic parameters between 1) changeup and sinker, 2) forkball and split-fingered fastball, and 3) two-seam fastball and shoot ball. Therefore, the hypothesis was retained for these 3 pairs of pitch types: although they were kinematically similar, the pitchers categorized them as different types.
 When the breaking ball was compared with the four-seam fastball, they were classifiable into 3 types: 1) pitches with a slower ball speed and lower spin rate with a different direction of spin axis (changeup, sinker, forkball and split-fingered fastball), 2) pitches with a slower ball speed, different direction of the spin axis and a spin rate comparable to the four-seam fastball (slider, curveball and cutter), and 3) pitches with a comparable ball speed, similar spin axis direction, and lower spin rate (two-seam fastball and shoot ball). These data revealed that the kinematic characteristics of some pitch types are quite different from those described in baseball coaching handbooks.

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The purpose of this study was to analyze TV sport programs televised in 1998. The relevant data had covered the TV program columns in the Asahi Newspaper televised from January 01 through December 31, 1998. Study had been conducted on the ten stations. (NHK General, NHK Education, NTV, TBS, Fuji TV, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo, NHK Satellite 1, NHK Satellite 2 and WOWOW.) Twe1ve month telecast hours had been combined into a total classified by sport events. Analysis had also been made on sport programs in the Weekend and Golden time. Weekend means Saturday and Sunday. Golden time means from seven through ten o'clock in the evening. The Following results were obtained, 1. Total telecast hours of TV sports program in 1998 were 601, 516 minutes. The Satellite telecast, among them, were 301, 600 minutes, occupying 50.1% of total telecast hours. The kinds of sport events telecast in 1998 was seventy-eight. An event occupying the longest hours of telecast was baseball taking 99,511 minutes. Soccer held the second slot having 95,142 minutes. Golf was the third position with 62,141 minutes. Sumo was the fourth with 44,703 minutes and Olympic winter games NAGANO was the fifth with 31,842 minutes respectively. 2. Total telecast hours of TV sport program on weekend were 292,869 minutes. The Satellite telecast, among them, were 120,022 minutes, occupying 41.0% of total telecast hours. The kinds of sport events telecast on weekend was seventy. An event occupying the longest hours of telecast was Soccer taking 43,135 minutes. Golf held the second slot having 40,835 minutes. Baseball was the third position 34,767 minutes. Motor sports was the fourth with 20,998 minutes and Sumo was the fifth with 15,707 minutes respectively. 3. Total telecast hours of TV sport programs in golden hours were 108,798 minutes. The Satellite telecast among them, were 68,674 minutes, occupying 63.1% of the total telecast hours. The kinds of sport events telecast in golden hours was forty. An event occupying the longest hours of telecast was baseball taking 33,530 minutes, Soccer held the second slot having 19,028 minutes. Olympic winter games NAGANO was the third position with 6,828 minutes. Sports variety was the fourth with 6,307 minutes and Basketball was the fifth with 6,220 minutes respectively.

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    Independent baseball leagues were established in Japan after the decline of the industrial league because of the recession in the 1990′s and confusion about the reorganization of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2004. Though four leagues have been inaugurated up to now, their management situation is not strong and several teams face a crisis situation.
    This paper discusses a future view of community-based small sports businesses and a strategy for sustenance through comparison of minor league business in Japan and North America, based on fieldwork carried out in 2009 from a perspective that considered independent baseball leagues that have attracted attention in recent years and farm leagues of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as “Minor Leagues” .
    This paper introduces the marketing strategies of MLB utilizing farm teams, and the management of 3A class minor league baseball teams linked to the activation strategy of the franchise city and current states of minor league business differentiated from major league business as an amusement commodity. Furthermore, problems about independent leagues in Japan not yet established as sport businesses are presented.
    For the development of minor league business in Japan in the future, it will be necessary to evaluate the commercial value of the NPB’ s farm team and improve cooperation with independent leagues as the talent reservoir.
     Considering the decline of corporate sports, the reduction of participants due to falling birthrate, the decrease in popularity of baseball and the subsidy reduction to Olympic sports by journalizing of national projects, the environments surrounding sports in Japan at present are becoming more severe. Though it seems that the role of minor leagues as starting points for the local activation of sports and as receivers of athletes after graduation as well as player supply sources for the top leagues will grow in the future, in these situations a clear view of the future cannot be drawn yet.

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