Golden Baseball League Welcomes All-Japanese Team, Samurai Bears, to United States; Team Kicks off Spring Training with Practice Session in Los Angeles.

WHAT:     The Samurai Bears will be the first all Japanese team to
          participate as a regular member of a U.S. professional
          sports league. The Samurai Bears, led by Japanese League
          baseball great Warren Cromartie, will play a total of
          90 games this season against teams located throughout
          California and Arizona as part of the Golden Baseball
          League, an independent professional baseball league.

          To commemorate the Samurai Bears' arrival to the United
          States, the team will host a special baseball clinic open
          to children of all ages; will participate in a scrimmage
          to showcase their exciting and unique brand of baseball;
          and will meet with fans and media.

WHEN:     Tuesday, May 17, 2005
          11:00 to 11:30 a.m. - Scrimmage
          11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Media interviews

WHERE:    Cheviot Hills Recreation Center
          Diamond 5 (located nearest the Recreation Center office)
          2551 Motor Avenue
          Los Angeles, CA 90064

MEDIA
NOTES:    Interpreters will be available for media interviews
          with the team.

CONTACTS: Michelle Mikoljak, [e-mail], 213.489.8213
          Ashleigh Koss, [e-mail], 213.489.8288

About the Golden Baseball League

The Golden Baseball League, presented by Safeway Inc., is a professional baseball league operating under a single-entity ownership model, with the League owning all the individual teams. Charter Golden Baseball League teams include the Chico Outlaws; the Fullerton Flyers; the Long Beach Armada; the San Diego Surf Dawgs; the Mesa Miners; the Surprise Fightin' Falcons; the Yuma Scorpions; and the Japan Samurai Bears. The 2005 regular season will consist of 90 games per team and will begin on May 26 and end on August 28. Each team will have a 24-player roster.