Japan Series 2014: Dates, Schedule, Preview for MLB All-Stars vs. Samurai Japan

Resuming an old tradition that halted in 2006, MLB stars will clash against the Japanese national team in the 2014 All-Star Series.

Several weeks removed from the game, and only a couple of weeks for the four Kansas City Royals on the MLB roster, several big league stars will play the hosting Samurai Japan. In Osaka, Tokyo and Sapporo, the two sides will square off in two exhibition games and a five-game series.

Baseball enthusiasts not ready to say goodbye to the sport are gifted with another week of action before making way for the offseason. MLB's roster is headlined by Robinson Cano, Yasiel Puig, Evan Longoria and Jose Altuve, so the Japan Series should make for a captivating spectacle.

Courtesy of MLB Public Relation's Twitter page, here is the series' full schedule and MLB roster.

Live Stream: MLB.TV (subscription required)

Japan Series Preview

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Understandably, pitchers are hesitant to assume ancillary workloads through the All-Star Series, which means many of the United States' marquee names stem from the offensive side.

The MLB's ace is Hisashi Iwakuma, who played for the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles before jumping ship to the Seattle Mariners in 2012.

Per The News Tribune's Bob Dutton, the 33-year-old expressed his delight to pitch back home, even as an adversary. “I am very happy and honored to be part of this All-Star team,” Iwakuma said. “I look forward to pitching in my hometown during the series.”

Seattle's righty notched a 3.52 ERA in his second full season as a starter, but only Phil Hughes issued a lower percentage of walks than Iwakuma's 3 percent. The next-best starter is Matt Shoemaker of the Los Angeles Angels. In his rookie campaign, the 28-year-old recorded a 3.04 ERA with a 5.17 strikeouts-to-walk ratio.

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MLB's team also loaded up on power with Carlos Santana, Chris Carter and Lucas Duda, three burly sluggers who combined to hit 94 home runs in 2014. Duda and Justin Morneau can handle righties, while Santana and Carter rake against southpaws.

For baseball aficionados searching for controversy, manager John Farrell has a tough decision to make at second base. The Boston Red Sox skipper can start Cano, a perennial superstar and a career .310/.358/.499 hitter, or Altuve, who hit an MLB-best .341 during a breakout 2014.

His incredible season won the 5'6" second baseman a Silver Slugger Award, which is usually reserved for offensive behemoths. Even he was shocked to take home the honor, per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart:

Both should get their opportunities during the international showcase. MLB will bring a roster that features players with diverse skills and backgrounds, and it will be interesting to watch players from rivaling teams mesh for seven games against Japanese players who may one day play in the U.S.