Baseball player fired by Lotte Marines sues team, seeks reinstatement

Japanese baseball player Ikuhiro Kiyota has filed a suit seeking damages and reinstatement by the Lotte Marines after his contract was terminated for dining out during the coronavirus pandemic, his lawyer said Thursday.In the suit filed with the Tokyo District Court, Kiyota, 35, is seeking about 97 million yen ($850,000) in damages, claiming the punishment he received from the Pacific League club in May was "unlawful and not effective," the lawyer said.During the first hearing on Thursday, Lotte, based in Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo, called for Kiyota's claim to be dismissed. The team sa…READ FULL ARTICLE