Oakland A's Enter Partnership with Rakuten Baseball Inc. of Japan

The Oakland Athletics and Rakuten Baseball Inc. of Japan have entered into a formal partnership, with the purpose to strengthen both organizations in the areas of baseball operations and management, it was announced jointly today.Under the agreement, the A?s and the Rakuten Eagles will share information pertaining to player development and data analysis, as well as exchange baseball operations staff including coaches, strength and conditioning specialists and medical personnel. ?We view this partnership as an exciting new opportunity for the Oakland Athletics,? said Billy Beane, the A?s vice president and general manager.? ?Without question, both organizations will benefit from this agreement, and we look forward to growing this relationship in the future.??We are very excited to have a working agreement with the Oakland Athletics,? said Toru Shimada, owner and president of the Sendai-based Rakuten Eagles, who play professionally in the Pacific League of Japan.? ?The Athletics are v...