NEW YORK, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Major League Baseball announced Wednesday the 2003 season will open in Japan and that the Montreal Expos will play a portion of their home schedule in Puerto Rico.
MLB said the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics will kick off the season at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday, March 25. The teams also will play March 26 before resuming their regular season slate in the United States on April 1.
"Coming off the exceptional success of All-Star Series 2002, Major League Baseball is excited to have the opportunity to bring regular season games back to the great baseball fans in Japan," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "We are grateful to these two quality organizations for accepting the invitations to play in Opening Series 2003."
The league also confirmed that the Expos, who are owned and operated by Major League Baseball, will play 22 games -- three separate homestands -- at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. The Expos' other 59 games will be played at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
"We believe these games will generate considerable excitement in Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean region," Selig said. "We have attempted to balance the need for home schedule certainty with this opportunity to stage attractive games in a city and region renowned for its production of players and the enthusiasm of its fans."
