Asian Baseball History and Culture is Our Passion

So how can English speakers follow Asian baseball? There are now numerous ways to track professional baseball in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan even if you don’t read the native languages. Let’s look at each country in turn.

Everyone knows the Black Sox. NPB had a scandal of its own that involved multiple players, multiple teams, and cost one young star everything.

We are thrilled that the SABR publication How We Played the Game: Baseball at Manzanar, 1942–1945 edited by Russ Speiller and James Forr is now available. The book is accompanied by a website featuring more photographs, interferes, video clips and more.

Every Monday morning we will post an article from SABR’s award-winning books Nichibei Yakyu: Volumes I and II. Each will present a different chapter in the long history of US-Japan baseball relations. This week Susan Miyagi McCormac focus on the last MLB All-Star tour of Japan.

In 1934, a 17-year-old Japanese schoolboy struck out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, and Charlie Gehringer in succession, instantly becoming a national hero, and forever known as “Japan’s Number One.”

Every Monday morning we will post an article from SABR’s award-winning books Nichibei Yakyu: Volumes I and II. Each will present a different chapter in the long history of US-Japan baseball relations. This week CARTER CROMWELL focuses on the 2014 Suzuki All-Star Series when team Samurai Japan shocked the visiting MLB All-Stars.

Yuri Karasawa has produced this informative video on how to follow Japanese baseball in English. Learn how to follow the current season, learn about the leagues’ history, and delve into the stats.

This week Susan Miyagi McCormac writes about the 2012 Opening Series between the Marines featuring Ichiro and the A’s.

This week Bill Nowlin tells us about the 2008 Opening Series between the Red Sox and A’s.

Former baseball player Baek In-chun passed away late last week at the age of 82 in Cheonan, South Korea. Baek had a 20 year career in NPB under the name “Jinten Haku” and then played in the KBO’s first three seasons.