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"The Dodgers have a rich tradition with Asia going back to the Brooklyn Dodgers' first tour of Japan in 1956," said DePodesta. "Since March 2001, the Dodgers have worked closely with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes and we feel very fortunate to continue our ongoing relationship in Japan with the ORIX Buffaloes."

At the close of the 2004 Japanese Pro Baseball season, the ORIX Blue Wave and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes merged to form the ORIX Buffaloes. The new ORIX team will be managed by Japan Hall of Fame inductee Akira Ohgi, who previously managed both the Blue Wave and the Buffaloes. Ohgi also managed current Major League players Hideo Nomo, Ichiro Suzuki, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, So Taguchi and Masao Kida. This year, Ohgi visited Dodgertown in Vero Beach, FL in March and he also came to Dodger Stadium in August.

Prior to the official 2001 signing with the Buffaloes, five ORIX Blue Wave officials visited Dodger Stadium in 2000 and engaged in a seminar led by Dodger executives on such areas as baseball operations, marketing, ticketing and stadium operations. On the field, the Buffaloes have trained at Dodgertown in 2002 and 2003. The Buffaloes also sent players and coaches to participate in minor league Spring Training in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The Dodgers dispatched coaches and staff to Japan in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

"It is good to continue working with the Buffaloes for our fifth consecutive year," said Senior Vice President Tommy Lasorda. "We have a great relationship with the Buffaloes organization and we will do all we can to help them win."

Tommy Lasorda and Director of Asian Operations Acey Kohrogi have been to Japan over 20 times for Buffaloes-related business during the previous four years. During the four-year relationship with the Dodgers, the Buffalos have finished first or second in three of those years including a trip to the Japan Series for the first time in 10 years in 2001. Under the new agreement, Kohrogi will be an advisor to ORIX Team President Takashi Koizumi.

"To be affiliated with a team like the Dodgers is a tremendous honor because the team not only possesses a long and rich history but also, the Dodgers have the most tradition in international baseball circles," said Koizumi. "From this point, I look forward to great prosperity and development because of this relationship for both our organizations."

Besides the Buffaloes, the Dodgers have had other Japanese pro team working agreements with the Yomiuri Giants and the Chunichi Dragons. The Dodgers are affiliated with the Sinon Bulls in Taiwan.

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