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From Asahi to Zebras
By Ralph M. Pearce |
ORDER -- Item #3383, Price $15.00
Baseball at that time enjoyed a great
popularity and received much less competition from other sports or
forms of entertainment available today. Whether the Issei became
acquainted with the game in Japan or after their arrival to the United
States, these first-generation Japanese immigrants came to be known
for their insatiable love of baseball. This love would push them to
organize and supply teams, build ballparks at home and in relocation
camps, and transport teams across the Pacific and back. It would
also, perhaps unknowingly, narrow gaps between generations and ease
acceptance into a foreign culture.
On July 31, 1993, I attended
the World Children's Baseball Fair at San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium,
an event hosted by Japanese and American homerun champions Sadaharu Oh
and Hank Aaron. As I sat in the stands, I passed out free copies of
my newsletter to those sitting near me. One fellow, who had been
quietly reading the newsletter for a while, turned to me and said,
"You know, my grandfather once got a hit off of Victor Starffin of the
Tokyo Giants." I was rather surprised and asked when his grandfather
had played in Japan. He said his grandfather wasn't in Japan, but had
played against the Tokyo Giants in San Jose, California. I was
dumbfounded. "The Tokyo Giants played in San Jose?"
The fellow at
the stadium was Jeff Hayamizu and his grandfather was Joe Jio.
Several weeks later back in San Jose, Jeff would introduce me to his
grandfather and I would begin the first of 28 interviews. I feel very
honored and grateful that these players and their families have
entrusted me with the preservation of the story of baseball in San
Jose's Japanese American Community, and I have done my best to share
their experiences with you.
Description
The book, From Asahi to Zebras, written by Ralph M. Pearce, chronicles
Japanese-American baseball teams that developed in Northern California
beginning in the early 1900's.
Author's Description From the Preface
Research for this book began with a series of interviews, most of them
conducted between August and December of 1996. During the course of
these interviews, I was often asked how I became interested in doing
this research, especially as someone outside of the Japanese American
community. My journey began back in 1990 when I read a book called
The Rise of Japanese Baseball Power, by Robert Obojski. I
became fascinated by the long history of Japan's love of the game, the
ongoing interaction between the United States and Japan through the
game, the colorful players, and the experiences of American players
who had journeyed to Japan to play on Japanese teams. As my interest
grew, I began publishing a bimonthly newsletter, The Japanese
Baseball Enthusiast, in May of 1993. This newsletter focused on
Japanese baseball history, cards and memorabilia, and interviews with
former players and other "enthusiasts."
Comment From the Back Cover
From Asahi to Zebras wonderfully presents in microcosm the greatest
American pastime. Ralph Pearce has passionately chronicled the San
Jose Asahi baseball team, preserving a legacy that is an inspiration
to current and future generations.
Kerry Yo Nakagawa - Author, Filmmaker, Historian
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Copyright © 2006 by AACP, Inc.
Most recent revision March 8, 2006