Why Japan Loves Baseball

How come baseball, that most American of games, is even more popular in Japan than in its home country? 

It’s a story with roots into the nineteenth century, as Arion, Olly and Rebecca discover while  they investigate the events of September 1st, 1964, when the San Francisco Giants introduced their newest player, Masanori Murakami, during a game against the New York Mets: the first Japanese player in Major League Baseball.

His remarkable composure earned him a standing ovation at Shea Stadium. What made this even more impressive was the fact that Murakami had only signed his contract a few hours before - after the Giants found a Japanese translator to ensure he understood what he was agreeing to. 

The Retrospectors explain how Murakami’s journey to the Major Leagues was almost accidental; discover how an American educator caught a wave of openness in Japan to establish baseball as a martial sport; and reveal why ‘Banzai’ Babe Ruth felt personally betrayed by Pearl Harbor… 

Further Reading:

• ‘How MLB's First Japanese Player Made it to Big Leagues’ (HISTORY, 2021): https://www.history.com/news/masanori-murakami-first-japanese-major-league-baseball-player

• ‘Opinion | Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, & Assassination During the 1934 Tour of Japan” by Robert K. Fitts’ (The Washington Post, 2012): https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/banzai-babe-ruth-baseball-espionage-and-assassination-during-the-1934-tour-of-japan-by-robert-k-fitts/2012/06/08/gJQAqxTZOV_story.html

• ‘Japanese Baseball is Awesome and You Need to Know More About it’ (Stark Raving Sports, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA4f9uKqsFI

#Sport #Japan #60s

This episode first aired in 2024 as a Sunday exclusive for members of Club Retrospectors

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.

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