Japanese Players Elect to Strike on Weekends

Japanese baseball players elected to stage the first strike in the history of the sport in Japan on Friday after extended negotiations with team officials failed to reach an agreement.

Japan’s professional players had threatened to strike this weekend unless a one-year freeze was put on the merger of the Pacific League’s Kintetsu Buffaloes and Orix BlueWave.

The strike will wipe out all games this weekend and possibly all weekend games between now and the end of the season. Weekday games will be played as scheduled.

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San Diego Padre third baseman Sean Burroughs underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.... Philadelphia Phillie closer Billy Wagner was suspended for two games by Major League Baseball and fined an undisclosed amount after he was ejected against the New York Mets last weekend.... Cleveland Indian left-hander C.C. Sabathia probably will sit out the rest of the season because of a strained left hamstring.