Title/Author:
“Mashi:
The Unfulfilled Baseball Dreams of Masanori Murakami, the First Japanese Major
Leaguer” by Robert K. Fitts
Tags:
Baseball,
history, Giants, Japan, race
Published:
April
1, 2015
Length:
221
pages
Stars:
5
of 5 stars (outstanding)
Review:
Jackie
Robinson was not the only baseball player who was a pioneer for his race in the
game. In 1964, a nineteen-year-old
pitcher named Masanori Murakami, known as “Mashi”, was sent by his Japanese
team to the minor leagues’ class A Fresno Giants. Later that season, the parent club, the San
Francisco Giants, called up the young left-hander as a relief pitcher. As a result, Murakami became the first
Japanese player in the major leagues.
His journey to the major leagues and the subsequent squabble between the
Japanese and American clubs is chronicled in this wonderful book by Robert K.
Fitts.
This
book doesn’t read like the typical biography of an athlete. The reader is taken
into the life of Murakami in both Japan and the United States. Mashi’s experiences
in the Japanese baseball leagues and its training camps and methods are well
researched and written in a manner that will inform the reader as well as
entertain him or her. There are many stories that illustrate the passion that
Murakami had for the game and yet he never wavered in his loyalty to family,
even while pitching in the United States.
The
dialogue in the book about Mashi’s experience learning the culture and customs
in America reads much differently than that in books about the struggles of
African-American players in the early days of baseball integration. While there
are a few instances of this type of discrimination documented, the focus is how
he interacts with people while struggling to learn English. There are many more humorous stories about
this than ones that will anger or upset the reader.
One
of the best ones told of Mashi’s teammates giving advice to him on what to tell
the manager when he came out to the mound to take Mashi out of the game. When manager Herman Franks took the ball, he
was greeted by some very colorful language from Mashi. Immediately Franks realized the prank played
by Mashi’s teammates and everyone had a good laugh over it.
However,
this baseball story doesn’t have a happy ending for Mashi, as a contract dispute between
his Japanese team and the Giants will result in an ugly exchange that became a
major sticking point for future opportunities in major league baseball for
Japanese players. The Japanese baseball
officials believed that they simply loaned Mashi to America in order to sharpen
his game. Major League Baseball,
concerned that the reserve clause would be threatened if they let Mashi return
to Japan, claimed that he was under contract with the Giants and therefore was obligated
to pitch for them. Like every other
conflict he encountered in his baseball career on both continents, Mashi gets
anxious to have it resolved but eventually makes the best of his opportunities,
no matter where they occur.
If
a reader wishes to learn more about Japanese baseball and the differences in the
way the game is run between the two countries, this book is a very good source
for that. If the reader just wants to
read a good story filled with humor and inspiration, this book does that too,
thanks to the excellent writing by the author.
I
wish to thank Mr. Fitts for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an
honest review.
Pace of the book:
The
writing style lends itself to be an easy read as it flows very well. Because I was not familiar with many of the Japanese
baseball references, it was a little slower for me so I could learn as much as
I could about baseball in Japan.
Do I recommend?
Any
reader interested in baseball history, whether in the American Major Leagues or
in Japan will appreciate this well-written and well-researched book.
Hardcover
Buying Links:
Sounds good to me lance. I'll gladly accept the book and I will treat it with love if I win. Harold
ReplyDeleteWow, impressive timing for the first entry! Thanks Harold.
ReplyDeletesounds like a very interesting read, Lance. & I would love to receive a copy for my birthday (4/28). 😉
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa...long time no talk. Surprised you would want a book on a player for the hated Giants! :)
DeleteI remember when he pitched for the Giants. I saw him lose a game to the Astros in the Astrodome in 1965. Joe Gaines homered off him. It turned out to be his only loss in the United States major leagues. He had another milestone event in Houston in 1964. He pitched in the game that was Larry Dierker's first major league start, September 22nd, 1964, although Dierker only lasted a couple of innings and was gone by the time Murakami came into the game. Murakami notched his first major league save in that game, Giants defeating the Houston Colt .45s, 7-1.
ReplyDeleteThat post above was written by Mark Wernick. Couldn't figure out how to get my name attached to the post.
ReplyDeleteNo problem Mark...you're in the drawing
DeleteSounds like an interesting book! Would love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this review and offer. If memory serves, in Japan, Mr. Murakami played with the Nankai Hawks, a team based in the Osaka region. I am eager to read more about his experiences.
ReplyDeleteGreat review. I might have to track this book down.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to reading this book. I have been fascinated with Japanese baseball and the culture since I picked up The Chrysanthemum and the Bat at my local library when I was a kid. I have enjoyed Mr Fitts writing very much.
ReplyDeleteMarc, who are your favorite people in Japanese baseball?
ReplyDeleteand what fascinates you about Japanese baseball and culture?
ReplyDeleteYou can meet Masanori Murakami this summer during our 8 city book tour. Please visit my website RobFitts.com for more details
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rob. I enjoyed your book on Wally Yonamine. I look forward to meeting you at one of the events in New York this summer.
ReplyDeleteI as a library director of a small-town library, and the readers and sports fans who patronize my library, would be delighted to accept a copy of this book.
ReplyDelete