TOKYO – Japanese baseball commissioner Ryozo Kato has announced his resignation at an owners' meeting.
Kato, a former Japanese ambassador to the United States, came under criticism in June when it was revealed the league had secretly switched to a livelier baseball for the 2013 season. The new ball has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of home runs.
The 72-year-old Kato, who is in his third term a commissioner of Nippon Professional Baseball, said he was never informed of the change. The players' union called for his resignation when the ball scandal came to light.
A third-party panel investigating the scandal is scheduled to submit a report by the end of this month.
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