The Aftermath of the Black Mist Scandal
The Black Mist Scandal of 1969-1971 was the biggest match-fixing scandal in NPB history. It came to light that players, centered on pitchers of the Nishitetsu Lions, had colluded with organized crime figures to manipulate game results, and as many as 6 players received permanent bans. The scandal shook trust in NPB to its foundations, and even the survival of professional baseball was in doubt. After the scandal, NPB strengthened its efforts to exclude organized crime and tightened the code of conduct for players. However, the memory of the Black Mist Scandal lingered for a long time, creating fertile ground for whispers of "Isn't this match-fixing?" whenever a game unfolded unnaturally. Nishitetsu pitcher Masaaki Ikenaga continued to maintain his innocence, but his permanent ban was not lifted until 2005. The ban, which lasted 36 years, showed both the seriousness of the scandal and NPB's strict stance. In the Black Mist Scandal, a total of 6 players, including 4 Nishitetsu pitchers, received permanent bans. The scandal began when organized crime figures approached players and proposed manipulating game results.
Suspicions and Weekly Magazine Reports in the 2000s
Since the Black Mist Scandal, there has been no proven case of match-fixing in NPB. However, reports of match-fixing suspicions, mainly in weekly magazines, have continued sporadically. Suspicions arose especially when unnatural pitching or hitting was seen in meaningless late-season games or in games after the standings had been settled. In 2011, a match-fixing problem came to light in grand sumo, and the credibility of professional sports as a whole was called into question. During this period, suspicion of match-fixing was also directed at NPB, but no concrete evidence was found. NPB has consistently maintained the position that "match-fixing does not exist in professional baseball".
The Connection With Illegal Baseball Gambling
Closely related to match-fixing is the problem of illegal baseball gambling. In 2015-2016, it came to light that 3 Yomiuri players had been involved in baseball gambling, which came as a great shock to NPB. Baseball gambling is not directly match-fixing, but there is a risk that players involved in gambling fall into debt and turn to match-fixing. In response to this scandal, NPB strengthened its education programs for players and made the penalties for gambling stricter. A consultation desk was also set up to detect players' financial troubles early. The 3 Yomiuri players received indefinite disqualification, effectively a permanent ban. As a serious scandal not seen since the Black Mist Scandal, this case greatly shook trust in NPB.
Systems and Challenges in Preventing Match-Fixing
NPB has put in place several systems to prevent match-fixing. These include organized crime exclusion clauses for players, umpires, and club officials, rules prohibiting gambling, and an internal whistleblowing system. Internationally, monitoring systems for game manipulation have also been introduced from the standpoint of sports integrity. However, completely preventing match-fixing is difficult. It is impossible to monitor players' private lives 24 hours a day, and the spread of cryptocurrency has made it harder to trace the flow of money. For NPB to maintain trust, it is essential not only to develop systems but also to educate players and cultivate an organizational culture.
International Trends in Sports Integrity and NPB's Response
Since the 2000s, international interest in preventing the manipulation of sports competitions has grown. In Europe, match-fixing linked to illegal betting became a social problem, mainly in soccer, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and national governments moved forward with legislation. In Japan as well, following the revision of the Basic Act on Sport and the establishment of the Japan Sports Agency, stronger governance came to be demanded of sports organizations. In 2016, NPB reorganized its compliance committee and built a monitoring system that includes outside experts. In annual training for players and staff, overseas match-fixing cases are used as teaching material to convey the methods of misconduct and the importance of reporting. Participation in an international information-sharing network is also being considered.
Suspicions Against Umpires and the Transparency of Calls
Match-fixing suspicions are sometimes directed not only at players but also at umpires. When fans feel there is bias in ball and strike calls or in safe and out calls on close plays, suspicions often spread on social media. To improve the accuracy of umpires' calls, NPB introduced replay review on a trial basis in 2010 and began full operation in 2014. Expanding the scope of video review increases the transparency of calls and has the effect of curbing baseless speculation that umpires "have been bought". On the other hand, ball and strike calls are still left to the discretion of the home plate umpire, and debate continues over introducing an automated ball-strike system. Making calls more objective is also an important effort in the sense of reducing the breeding ground for match-fixing suspicions.
Fan Psychology and the Mechanism of Spreading Suspicions
Behind the repeated emergence of match-fixing suspicions lies the structure of fan psychology. When their favorite team suffers a puzzling loss, fans feel the urge to attribute the defeat to outside factors rather than to tactics or a difference in ability. Plays that look unnatural at critical moments, such as in the Climax Series or the Japan Series, especially tend to invite conspiracy-theory interpretations. With the spread of social media, such speculation spreads instantly, and in some cases it is treated as established fact without being verified. NPB sometimes issues denials of individual suspicions through its official website and press releases, but the denial itself can add fuel to the fire, making a response difficult. Better media literacy and the promotion of fact-based discussion are needed.