We used to think we had it pretty good on the West Coast when we could roll out of bed on a Saturday morning and make a pot of coffee just in time to catch the first pitch of an East Coast game.

Now, since I’ve been in Europe, catching games at a decent hour has been a rarity – except on days when the Boston Marathon is run.

All that will change tomorrow when the A’s take on the Red Sox at Tokyo Dome. While those on the East Coast gaze groggily into the Corn Flakes during the 6 am start, we in Europe will be sipping our lunchtime cappuccinos by the time Daisuke Matsuzaka hits the mound.

And it will be 3 am in Oakland when the national anthems are played – around the time most West Coast games start in Europe during the regular season.

Here’s to the MLB going international.