Japan Book Review: Mashi: The Unfulfilled Baseball Dreams of Masanori Murakami, the First Japanese Major Leaguer
Mashi: The Unfulfilled Baseball Dreams of Masanori Murakami, the First Japanese Major Leaguer
ISBN: 978-1-4962-1951-0
University of Nebraska Press, 2014
232 pp; paperback
Part-pioneer, part-legend, part wide-eyed innocent kid and (unintentionally) part-baseball troublemaker, Japan's Masanori "Mashi" Murakami had one of the most interesting and consequential careers in baseball history.
In 1964, the Nankai Hawks of Japan's Pacific League sent their promising 19-year-old left-handed pitcher with two other young players to America to improve their skills. While the two other players struggled, Murakami thrived for the Class A (low minor leagues) Fresno Giants, the San Francisco Giants' affiliate.
On August 29, Murakami struck out 10 of the 12 batters he faced for a four-inning save. By September 1st, he was pitching in the majors.
The S.F. Giants, deep in a pennant race, desperately needed a left-handed reliever, so bypassing their AA and AAA players, they shockingly called up Murakami. Murakami was thrust into high-pressure situations armed with little more than a savage curveball and pinpoint control. He spoke very little English and knew next to nothing about America.
At that season's end, the Giants offered Murakami a contract for the 1965 season. He quickly signed, even though he was then unable to read English. Problematically, he was already under contract to return to the Nankai Hawks for the 1965 season. The conflict quickly drew the attention of both Japan and America's baseball commissioners, and a legal battle ensued.
It was finally decided that Mashi would pitch for San Francisco for one more year, then return to Japan. Still, the bad blood between the two commissioners and the two leagues resulted in no more Japanese players being allowed to play in America for 30 years. The next Japanese to play in America was the famous Hideo Nomo.
Author Fitts' research for the book is remarkable. He interviewed Murakami three times over a period of 10 years, and gained access to Murakami's diaries. Other players and team personnel made themselves available for interviews, too, and Fitts must have spent many hours poring through old newspaper clippings.
The details on a number of famous incidents – for example the Giants-Dodgers game in 1965 where Giants' star pitcher Juan Marichal cracked Dodgers' catcher John Roseboro over the head with his bat - are fantastic. As a former sportswriter myself who grew up near San Francisco, I knew a lot about this incident, but still got some new information from Fitts.
The book is not just about baseball. There are numerous insights into 1960s social turmoil, but not enough to slow down the pace of the book. Of course, Murakami's personal life is covered, too, starting from when he was just four years old.
The appendix (filled with Murakami's stats) and attributions to his research are impressive.
Note: Mashi is one of three books written by Fitts about Japan and baseball. The others are Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, and Assassination During the 1934 Tour of Japan, and Wally Yonamine: The Man Who Changed Baseball. These books can be purchased by clicking on the links above.
Review by Marshall Hughes, author of Rural Reflections: What 11 Years in Provincial Japan Taught Me.
Buy this book from Amazon USA | UK | Japan
Looking to buy Japanese things directly from Japan? GoodsFromJapan is here to help.
More Japan Book Reviews
All About Japan - Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids
Exposure: From President to Whistleblower at Olympus
Japanese Kokeshi Dolls: The Woodcraft and Culture of Japan's Iconic Wooden Dolls