On the heels of news that a fourth Yomiuri Giants player was found to have gambled on Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) games, it has emerged that money changed hands between Giants players in connection with their team's wins and losses.

According to the Giants, the pitchers and fielders would form pools before games, designating one player as a "caller." If the Giants won their game, then the caller would receive 5,000 yen each from the other players, and if the Giants lost, then that person would have to pay the other players 1,000 yen each. Among the first-string players, there were about a dozen pitchers and 16 fielders, most of whom took part. If the team won, the pitchers would pay the caller about 60,000 yen while the caller on the fielders' side would get about 80,000 yen.

This exchange of money began in around the spring of 2012, when the team was performing poorly.

The team's general affairs director, Kiyoshi Morita, commented, "Everyone spontaneously began to pay the callers who brought good luck, wanting to congratulate them." The practice is now banned on the grounds that it could "invite misunderstanding."

The head of the NPB's investigation committee, Motonari Otsuru, told reporters on March 14 that the players' behavior does not violate Article 177 of the official baseball rules, which bans match fixing.

A clause in Article 177 refers to "betting on games with which the team the player belongs to is directly involved." It seems that this would apply in the latest case. But the investigation committee judged that the players' actions did not violate the rules or constitute gambling on baseball, as the amounts of money involved were small and the practice did not involve predictions of the outcome of games, meaning there was no motive for match fixing.

An NPB report in November last year stated, "Money was exchanged between players in connection with wins and losses in games, though this does not constitute 'betting.'"

NPB Commissioner Katsuhiko Kumazaki said on March 14, "If it were a violation of the rules, then we would have to disclose the matter, but when it is a background issue, we don't mention the details."

When asked whether the players actions should have been included in the report from a social viewpoint based on common sense, as they involved wins and losses of games, Kumazaki responded, "It's different from the kind of issue where there are concerns about them throwing a game. We have to interpret the issue based on the sense (of the official rules)."

The Giants' Morita, meanwhile, commented, "We followed the NPB's decision."

Kumazaki went on to say, "Even if it's not a violation of the rules, it's not good. To prevent a recurrence, we have completely banned the exchange of money with regard to baseball." Players were notified of the ban through a notice sent out in January. Officials reasoned that the accumulation of such activities formed part of the background to gambling in baseball. If this was indeed the case, it may have been prudent for the NPB to announce details on the exchange of money last autumn, when betting on cards and mah-jongg between Giants players was uncovered. The same can be said for the team, which should have been aware of the situation.

The issue creates the impression that the baseball world lacks the capacity to cleanse itself.

Former Hanshin Tigers President Katsuyoshi Nozaki, a visiting professor at Kansai University of International Studies, commented, "Even if it's not about throwing a game, similar issues should be announced right away. Perhaps the Giants lacked a crisis mentality."

In November last year it was pointed out that separate from the issue of gambling on baseball games, it was not uncommon for Giants players to bet money between themselves. One former player punished by the NPB in connection with baseball gambling stated, "Bets were made on a daily basis, so in gambling on baseball, it didn't feel like we were crossing a line.

The NPB's soft nature -- not reproaching the players for their exchange of money -- may have been a hotbed for gambling in baseball.

On the afternoon of March 14, the Giants held a meeting of a disciplinary committee that was set up following the discovery of gambling in baseball. Speaking to members that include a former police officer, Shoichi Oikawa, who took up his new position as owner of the Giants on March 11, commented, "Betting money on small games is escalating, leading to serious incidents."

Hiroshi Kubo, president of the Yomiuri Giants, commented, "It's important to win, but educating people comes first."

One former Central League coach commented, "It's inconceivable for the whole team to do this and to do it in connection with official games. If the manager or coaching staff knew about it, they should have stopped it." At the same time an official from another team commented, "There may have been things close to this in our camp as well."