Red Sox become first team to launch Japanese-language Twitter feed

The Red Sox became the first Major League Baseball team to launch a Japanese Twitter feed.

Baseball is a global industry, and MLB has done a fine job of marketing its brand internationally in recent years. The launch of the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and big-name imports like Ichiro Suzuki (Japan), Hyun-Jin Ryu (South Korea) and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez (Cuba) have helped the majors reach more fans around the world than ever before.

Some teams, like the Yankees, have Spanish-language Twitter feeds for their fans. But on Friday, the Red Sox became the first major league club to launch a Japanese-language Twitter feed: @redsoxjp. You can be sure it is only a matter of time before others follow suit and new languages are introduced to the majors' social media presence. Bravo to the Red Sox for being creative and expanding their reach.

Right-hander Junichi Tazawa, 26, posted a 1.43 ERA with 45 strikeouts and just five walks in 44 relief innings for Boston last season. He signed with the team for $3 million in December 2008 and is expected to serve as their top setup man in 2013. Oft-injured and ineffective righty Daisuke Matsuzaka was allowed to leave as a free agent this winter.

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnBaseball on Twitter, subscribe to the RSS feed and "like" us on Facebook. Also, individually interact with us on Twitter: @MattSnyder27, @daynperry and @mikeaxisa.