Podcasts about tokyo giants

On August 30, 2006, Boston right-hander Curt Schilling fans Oakland slugger Nick Swisher with his trademark splitter to record the 3,000th strikeout of his career. Schilling becomes the 14th pitcher to reach the milestone. Schilling ranks 2nd all time with 4.38 strikeouts for every walk allowed. Third on the all time list is 2004 team mate Pedro Martinez with a 4.15 ratio. After recording the strikeout Schilling said, "Earlier in my career, the two guys I wanted to emulate were Clemens and Maddux. I wanted Clemens' power with Maddux's control. I never quite got to either one of them, but I felt like I was kind of a mishmash of the two in some cases." August 30, 1978, Sadaharu Oh of the Tokyo Giants hits the 800th home run of his career. Oh, the world's all-time home run king, had previously broken Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs. He went on to hit 868 for his career. Aaron, six years Oh's senior, out-homered him in home run hitting contests held in 1974 and 1984.August 30, 1965, one of the game's most legendary figures, New York Mets manager Casey Stengel, announces his retirement. Doctors had advised Stengel to step down after suffering a broken hip in a bathroom fall on July 25. Stengel will gain induction to the Hall of Fame the next year. Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel made his big league debut as an outfielder with John McGraw's New York Giants in 1912. His greatest moment as a player came in the 1923 World Series with the Giants. With two outs in the ninth inning, Stengel won Game 1 with an inside-the-park home run. After his playing career he managed the Dodgers, Braves and in 1949 took over the Yankees, His record of 1149 wins versus 696 losses with the Yankees over the next 12 seasons was among the greatest in managerial history, and included 10 American League pennants and seven World Series victories. He finished his career with Mets and in 1962 posted the single worst record in baseball history as the amazing mets went 40 - 120. The year following his retirement, Stengel will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.

On August 30, 2006, Boston right-hander Curt Schilling fans Oakland slugger Nick Swisher with his trademark splitter to record the 3,000th strikeout of his career. Schilling becomes the 14th pitcher to reach the milestone. Schilling ranks 2nd all time with 4.38 strikeouts for every walk allowed. Third on the all time list is 2004 team mate Pedro Martinez with a 4.15 ratio. After recording the strikeout Schilling said, "Earlier in my career, the two guys I wanted to emulate were Clemens and Maddux. I wanted Clemens' power with Maddux's control. I never quite got to either one of them, but I felt like I was kind of a mishmash of the two in some cases." August 30, 1978, Sadaharu Oh of the Tokyo Giants hits the 800th home run of his career. Oh, the world's all-time home run king, had previously broken Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs. He went on to hit 868 for his career. Aaron, six years Oh's senior, out-homered him in home run hitting contests held in 1974 and 1984.August 30, 1965, one of the game's most legendary figures, New York Mets manager Casey Stengel, announces his retirement. Doctors had advised Stengel to step down after suffering a broken hip in a bathroom fall on July 25. Stengel will gain induction to the Hall of Fame the next year. Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel made his big league debut as an outfielder with John McGraw's New York Giants in 1912. His greatest moment as a player came in the 1923 World Series with the Giants. With two outs in the ninth inning, Stengel won Game 1 with an inside-the-park home run. After his playing career he managed the Dodgers, Braves and in 1949 took over the Yankees, His record of 1149 wins versus 696 losses with the Yankees over the next 12 seasons was among the greatest in managerial history, and included 10 American League pennants and seven World Series victories. He finished his career with Mets and in 1962 posted the single worst record in baseball history as the amazing mets went 40 - 120. The year following his retirement, Stengel will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.

On August 30, 2006, Boston right-hander Curt Schilling fans Oakland slugger Nick Swisher with his trademark splitter to record the 3,000th strikeout of his career. Schilling becomes the 14th pitcher to reach the milestone. Schilling ranks 2nd all time with 4.38 strikeouts for every walk allowed. Third on the all time list is 2004 team mate Pedro Martinez with a 4.15 ratio. After recording the strikeout Schilling said, "Earlier in my career, the two guys I wanted to emulate were Clemens and Maddux. I wanted Clemens' power with Maddux's control. I never quite got to either one of them, but I felt like I was kind of a mishmash of the two in some cases." August 30, 1978, Sadaharu Oh of the Tokyo Giants hits the 800th home run of his career. Oh, the world's all-time home run king, had previously broken Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs. He went on to hit 868 for his career. Aaron, six years Oh's senior, out-homered him in home run hitting contests held in 1974 and 1984.August 30, 1965, one of the game's most legendary figures, New York Mets manager Casey Stengel, announces his retirement. Doctors had advised Stengel to step down after suffering a broken hip in a bathroom fall on July 25. Stengel will gain induction to the Hall of Fame the next year. Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel made his big league debut as an outfielder with John McGraw's New York Giants in 1912. His greatest moment as a player came in the 1923 World Series with the Giants. With two outs in the ninth inning, Stengel won Game 1 with an inside-the-park home run. After his playing career he managed the Dodgers, Braves and in 1949 took over the Yankees, His record of 1149 wins versus 696 losses with the Yankees over the next 12 seasons was among the greatest in managerial history, and included 10 American League pennants and seven World Series victories. He finished his career with Mets and in 1962 posted the single worst record in baseball history as the amazing mets went 40 - 120. The year following his retirement, Stengel will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.

Roy White played on the New York Yankees from 1965 through the 1979 season. Roy grew up on the tough streets of Compton and created a successful all-star baseball career playing alongside such greats as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and many others. Today Roy White sits among the greatest all-time Yankees in most offensive categories. After his career with the Yankees, Roy White became a star in Japan playing for the Tokyo Giants and playing alongside the greatest Japanese player of all time, Sadaharu Oh. Paul R. Semendinger's Roy White: From Compton to the Bronx (Artemesia, 2023) is Roy White's story, but it's also the story of a unique period in baseball history when the Yankees fell from grace and regained glory and the country dealt with societal changes in many ways. Paul Knepper covered the New York Knicks for Bleacher Report. His first book, The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All was published in 2020. You can reach Paul at paulknepper@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @paulieknep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Roy White played on the New York Yankees from 1965 through the 1979 season. Roy grew up on the tough streets of Compton and created a successful all-star baseball career playing alongside such greats as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and many others. Today Roy White sits among the greatest all-time Yankees in most offensive categories. After his career with the Yankees, Roy White became a star in Japan playing for the Tokyo Giants and playing alongside the greatest Japanese player of all time, Sadaharu Oh. Paul R. Semendinger's Roy White: From Compton to the Bronx (Artemesia, 2023) is Roy White's story, but it's also the story of a unique period in baseball history when the Yankees fell from grace and regained glory and the country dealt with societal changes in many ways. Paul Knepper covered the New York Knicks for Bleacher Report. His first book, The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All was published in 2020. You can reach Paul at paulknepper@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @paulieknep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Roy White played on the New York Yankees from 1965 through the 1979 season. Roy grew up on the tough streets of Compton and created a successful all-star baseball career playing alongside such greats as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and many others. Today Roy White sits among the greatest all-time Yankees in most offensive categories. After his career with the Yankees, Roy White became a star in Japan playing for the Tokyo Giants and playing alongside the greatest Japanese player of all time, Sadaharu Oh. Paul R. Semendinger's Roy White: From Compton to the Bronx (Artemesia, 2023) is Roy White's story, but it's also the story of a unique period in baseball history when the Yankees fell from grace and regained glory and the country dealt with societal changes in many ways. Paul Knepper covered the New York Knicks for Bleacher Report. His first book, The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All was published in 2020. You can reach Paul at paulknepper@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @paulieknep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Roy White played on the New York Yankees from 1965 through the 1979 season. Roy grew up on the tough streets of Compton and created a successful all-star baseball career playing alongside such greats as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and many others. Today Roy White sits among the greatest all-time Yankees in most offensive categories. After his career with the Yankees, Roy White became a star in Japan playing for the Tokyo Giants and playing alongside the greatest Japanese player of all time, Sadaharu Oh. Paul R. Semendinger's Roy White: From Compton to the Bronx (Artemesia, 2023) is Roy White's story, but it's also the story of a unique period in baseball history when the Yankees fell from grace and regained glory and the country dealt with societal changes in many ways. Paul Knepper covered the New York Knicks for Bleacher Report. His first book, The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All was published in 2020. You can reach Paul at paulknepper@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @paulieknep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sports

Roy White played on the New York Yankees from 1965 through the 1979 season. Roy grew up on the tough streets of Compton and created a successful all-star baseball career playing alongside such greats as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and many others. Today Roy White sits among the greatest all-time Yankees in most offensive categories. After his career with the Yankees, Roy White became a star in Japan playing for the Tokyo Giants and playing alongside the greatest Japanese player of all time, Sadaharu Oh. Paul R. Semendinger's Roy White: From Compton to the Bronx (Artemesia, 2023) is Roy White's story, but it's also the story of a unique period in baseball history when the Yankees fell from grace and regained glory and the country dealt with societal changes in many ways. Paul Knepper covered the New York Knicks for Bleacher Report. His first book, The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All was published in 2020. You can reach Paul at paulknepper@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @paulieknep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Rami Alhamad is a Syrian-Canadian engineer and entrepreneur who is passionate about technology, design, & business strategy. He founded and ran PUSH, a leading wearable startup focused on sports performance tracking with over 150+ pro athletes, and teams including multiple Olympic organizations. (Irish Rugby Union, Chelsea, Washington Nationals, Stanford, Notre Dame, Tokyo Giants, Chinese Olympic Committee, and others). PUSH was sold in 2021 to WHOOP and Rami joined WHOOP's executive team. He's currently a board member and advisor for several startups. CONNECT WITH RAMILinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramialhamadCONNECT WITH SAFWebsite: https://www.safwanalturk.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/safwanalturk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safwanalturk New to Saf? A father, founder, and business executive who left corporate life behind to create solutions that help people build healthy lifestyles.Special thanks to my 14 year old son for helping with the video editing. Follow us/ subscribe/ rate/ share - We are on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. superhumanswitchpodcast.com Thanks a lot for listening.

Drawing on the concepts presented in Matt's book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, Darrell and Matt tell a few stories, discuss tools and techniques, and share strategies anyone can use to prepare mentally and consistently deliver in high-pressure performance situations.  Darrell May is a former MLB player with over 16 years at the professional level. Darrell started his pro career with the Atlanta Braves when he was drafted at age 20. During his career he played for the Pirates, the Angels, the Royals, the Padres, the Yankees, the Twins, the Reds and two teams in Japan. He was a member of the 1995 World Series Champion Atlanta Braves, as well as other post season teams. While playing in Japan, he was an All-Star and won a Japan World Series with the Tokyo Giants. After retiring Darrell went to MLB Scouting school and has spent his time since developing, coaching and mentoring young athletes. Currently, he works with a California-based sports agency as Vice President of Player Development, and head of the Texas division. Darrell is also an advisor to the MLB RBI program in Austin and a member of the Positive Coaching Alliance. He lives in central Austin with his wife of 20 years, Heather, and his two daughters, Grace a rising senior, and Brynley a rising freshman, both at SMCA.Matt Wilson gained national exposure as the “Piano Man” in the First National Tour of the Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp's Tony-award winning musical Movin' Out. In 2005, the Texas State Senate honored Matt with a resolution for his achievements in the area of Fine Arts, and he was accepted to the 2016 - 2018 Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster. Matt continues to tour with his band, headlining numerous public, private, and social events of all sizes. In 2021, Matt released his first book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, available on Amazon and iBooks. Support the show

This week its an OTP exclusive as we are lucky enough to catch up with former Blue Jay Justin Smoak and the wonderful Kristin Smoak, as they prepare to head to Japan. Justin has signed a contract with the Tokyo Giants and despite what must be a pretty hectic time for them, they were kind enough to both sit for a chat with us!

Bull Durham, Any Given Sunday and the movie that may be your only chance at enjoying the Olympics in Tokyo are three of the sixteen movies of the Miyagi Region facing off in this episode, Part 4 of the Sports Movies Tournament of Champions. Joining us is a true sports movie connoisseur, Kyle Bandujo (@kylebandujo), host of Big Screen Sports (@Big_ScreenSport), a podcast dedicated to sports movies Check out the complete 64 movie bracket here. And make sure you do not miss the previous episodes covering the Bombay, Bambino and Balboa regions. We will be back soon to complete the entire tourney with a Sweet 16 finale episode. To see how these 64 movies were selected and seeded, see here. And check out our podcast for the previous episodes devoted to movies in specific sports, from Boxing and Baseball to Olympics, Hockey and many more. Outre: "Anthem of Oh Sadaharu" (1985 Tokyo Giants)

5回表→裏。G5-0S。ルーキー高橋、好投が続きます。 #プロ野球 #野球 #巨人 #讀賣 #読売 #Podcast #radiotalk #ジャイアンツ #zabo #ザボ #Tokyo #Giants #giants #東京ダービー

7回表→裏。G3-0S。バレンティン、膝付き、拝み取りキャッチでスリーアウト、チェンジです！ #プロ野球 #野球 #巨人 #讀賣 #読売 #Podcast #radiotalk #ジャイアンツ #zabo #ザボ #東京 #ヤクルト #スワローズ #Tokyo #Giants #東京シリーズ #

6回表→裏。G3-0S。山口俊、ノーヒットピッチ、終了！S上田のピッチャー強襲内野安打！ってなことで、ツーアウト2塁っていう状況。 #プロ野球 #野球 #巨人 #讀賣 #読売 #Podcast #radiotalk #ジャイアンツ #zabo #ザボ #東京 #ヤクルト #スワローズ #Tokyo #Giants #神宮

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson - THE CLUB - are with Steve this week on Unleashed for a raucous, fun episode that you won't soon forget. Hear all about jet ski adventures, Karl Anderson's bank account, hunting squirrels, the origin of Festus, the beginnings of the Bullet Club, Luke getting the People's Eyebrow from The Rock and much more! Crack open a novel and join us!

There are three Americans in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. One is Horace Wilson, the professor of English who brought his students outside for a game in 1872, thus introducing baseball to Japan. Another is Wally Yonamine, the Hawaii-born Nisei who played professional baseball in Japan in the 1950s (after one season as a running back in the NFL), winning three batting titles and numerous selections to All-Star teams. And the third is Frank “Lefty” O’Doul. A power-hitting outfielder who won two National League batting titles, O’Doul was a member of two teams of American players who toured Japan in 1931 and 1934. O’Doul fell in love with Japan during these visits.  He returned to the country in 1935 to assist in the creation of the Tokyo Giants, a professional team that toured the United States. And he came back again in 1949, this time as the manager of the minor-league San Francisco Seals. With much of the country still in ruins from the war, the Seals’ four-week tour lifted Japanese morale and helped repair Japanese-American relations.  Emperor Hirohito invited O’Doul to the palace to offer his personal thanks. General MacArthur called the Seals’ tour “the best piece of diplomacy ever.” Lefty O’Doul is one of the principal characters of Rob Fitts‘ history of the 1934 tour of Japan by Major League players. O’Doul was joined on the team of “All Americans” by future Hall-of-Famers Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer, and Lou Gehrig, as well as legendary manager Connie Mack. But the marquee attraction was Babe Ruth, at that time coming to the end of his playing career yet still the biggest star in baseball. Rob’s book, Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, and Assassination during the 1934 Tour of Japan (University of Nebraska Press, 2012), shows that Ruth was also an international star. Japanese fans swarmed around him at every stop on the tour, and they cheered for his home runs, even when they were part of another lopsided win by the Americans. Japanese fans’ admiration of Ruth and the other American players, and the overall success of the tour, convinced organizers that there was a place for professional baseball in Japan, alongside the well-established and popular high school and college leagues. Two years after the tour, Japan’s professional league played its inaugural season, featuring the Tokyo Giants and six other clubs. For his own part, Ruth came away from the tour with a great affection for Japan. He was then bitterly disappointed seven years later by the attack on Pearl Harbor. As Rob explains in his book and the interview, even during the weeks of the tour, when thousands of Japanese were cheering American players in the streets and stadiums, the forces that would lead to war were moving in society and the military. Babe Ruth and baseball were unable to keep that war from coming. But Lefty O’Doul and baseball were at least able to help repair the damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are three Americans in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. One is Horace Wilson, the professor of English who brought his students outside for a game in 1872, thus introducing baseball to Japan. Another is Wally Yonamine, the Hawaii-born Nisei who played professional baseball in Japan in the 1950s (after one season as a running back in the NFL), winning three batting titles and numerous selections to All-Star teams. And the third is Frank “Lefty” O’Doul. A power-hitting outfielder who won two National League batting titles, O’Doul was a member of two teams of American players who toured Japan in 1931 and 1934. O’Doul fell in love with Japan during these visits.  He returned to the country in 1935 to assist in the creation of the Tokyo Giants, a professional team that toured the United States. And he came back again in 1949, this time as the manager of the minor-league San Francisco Seals. With much of the country still in ruins from the war, the Seals’ four-week tour lifted Japanese morale and helped repair Japanese-American relations.  Emperor Hirohito invited O’Doul to the palace to offer his personal thanks. General MacArthur called the Seals’ tour “the best piece of diplomacy ever.” Lefty O’Doul is one of the principal characters of Rob Fitts‘ history of the 1934 tour of Japan by Major League players. O’Doul was joined on the team of “All Americans” by future Hall-of-Famers Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer, and Lou Gehrig, as well as legendary manager Connie Mack. But the marquee attraction was Babe Ruth, at that time coming to the end of his playing career yet still the biggest star in baseball. Rob’s book, Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, and Assassination during the 1934 Tour of Japan (University of Nebraska Press, 2012), shows that Ruth was also an international star. Japanese fans swarmed around him at every stop on the tour, and they cheered for his home runs, even when they were part of another lopsided win by the Americans. Japanese fans’ admiration of Ruth and the other American players, and the overall success of the tour, convinced organizers that there was a place for professional baseball in Japan, alongside the well-established and popular high school and college leagues. Two years after the tour, Japan’s professional league played its inaugural season, featuring the Tokyo Giants and six other clubs. For his own part, Ruth came away from the tour with a great affection for Japan. He was then bitterly disappointed seven years later by the attack on Pearl Harbor. As Rob explains in his book and the interview, even during the weeks of the tour, when thousands of Japanese were cheering American players in the streets and stadiums, the forces that would lead to war were moving in society and the military. Babe Ruth and baseball were unable to keep that war from coming. But Lefty O’Doul and baseball were at least able to help repair the damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are three Americans in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. One is Horace Wilson, the professor of English who brought his students outside for a game in 1872, thus introducing baseball to Japan. Another is Wally Yonamine, the Hawaii-born Nisei who played professional baseball in Japan in the 1950s (after one season as a running back in the NFL), winning three batting titles and numerous selections to All-Star teams. And the third is Frank “Lefty” O’Doul. A power-hitting outfielder who won two National League batting titles, O’Doul was a member of two teams of American players who toured Japan in 1931 and 1934. O’Doul fell in love with Japan during these visits.  He returned to the country in 1935 to assist in the creation of the Tokyo Giants, a professional team that toured the United States. And he came back again in 1949, this time as the manager of the minor-league San Francisco Seals. With much of the country still in ruins from the war, the Seals’ four-week tour lifted Japanese morale and helped repair Japanese-American relations.  Emperor Hirohito invited O’Doul to the palace to offer his personal thanks. General MacArthur called the Seals’ tour “the best piece of diplomacy ever.” Lefty O’Doul is one of the principal characters of Rob Fitts‘ history of the 1934 tour of Japan by Major League players. O’Doul was joined on the team of “All Americans” by future Hall-of-Famers Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer, and Lou Gehrig, as well as legendary manager Connie Mack. But the marquee attraction was Babe Ruth, at that time coming to the end of his playing career yet still the biggest star in baseball. Rob’s book, Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, and Assassination during the 1934 Tour of Japan (University of Nebraska Press, 2012), shows that Ruth was also an international star. Japanese fans swarmed around him at every stop on the tour, and they cheered for his home runs, even when they were part of another lopsided win by the Americans. Japanese fans’ admiration of Ruth and the other American players, and the overall success of the tour, convinced organizers that there was a place for professional baseball in Japan, alongside the well-established and popular high school and college leagues. Two years after the tour, Japan’s professional league played its inaugural season, featuring the Tokyo Giants and six other clubs. For his own part, Ruth came away from the tour with a great affection for Japan. He was then bitterly disappointed seven years later by the attack on Pearl Harbor. As Rob explains in his book and the interview, even during the weeks of the tour, when thousands of Japanese were cheering American players in the streets and stadiums, the forces that would lead to war were moving in society and the military. Babe Ruth and baseball were unable to keep that war from coming. But Lefty O’Doul and baseball were at least able to help repair the damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are three Americans in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. One is Horace Wilson, the professor of English who brought his students outside for a game in 1872, thus introducing baseball to Japan. Another is Wally Yonamine, the Hawaii-born Nisei who played professional baseball in Japan in the 1950s (after one season as a running back in the NFL), winning three batting titles and numerous selections to All-Star teams. And the third is Frank “Lefty” O’Doul. A power-hitting outfielder who won two National League batting titles, O’Doul was a member of two teams of American players who toured Japan in 1931 and 1934. O’Doul fell in love with Japan during these visits.  He returned to the country in 1935 to assist in the creation of the Tokyo Giants, a professional team that toured the United States. And he came back again in 1949, this time as the manager of the minor-league San Francisco Seals. With much of the country still in ruins from the war, the Seals’ four-week tour lifted Japanese morale and helped repair Japanese-American relations.  Emperor Hirohito invited O’Doul to the palace to offer his personal thanks. General MacArthur called the Seals’ tour “the best piece of diplomacy ever.” Lefty O’Doul is one of the principal characters of Rob Fitts‘ history of the 1934 tour of Japan by Major League players. O’Doul was joined on the team of “All Americans” by future Hall-of-Famers Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer, and Lou Gehrig, as well as legendary manager Connie Mack. But the marquee attraction was Babe Ruth, at that time coming to the end of his playing career yet still the biggest star in baseball. Rob’s book, Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, and Assassination during the 1934 Tour of Japan (University of Nebraska Press, 2012), shows that Ruth was also an international star. Japanese fans swarmed around him at every stop on the tour, and they cheered for his home runs, even when they were part of another lopsided win by the Americans. Japanese fans’ admiration of Ruth and the other American players, and the overall success of the tour, convinced organizers that there was a place for professional baseball in Japan, alongside the well-established and popular high school and college leagues. Two years after the tour, Japan’s professional league played its inaugural season, featuring the Tokyo Giants and six other clubs. For his own part, Ruth came away from the tour with a great affection for Japan. He was then bitterly disappointed seven years later by the attack on Pearl Harbor. As Rob explains in his book and the interview, even during the weeks of the tour, when thousands of Japanese were cheering American players in the streets and stadiums, the forces that would lead to war were moving in society and the military. Babe Ruth and baseball were unable to keep that war from coming. But Lefty O’Doul and baseball were at least able to help repair the damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices