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Mr. Baseball
For most people, Mr. Baseball is their gateway into Japanese baseball, and we’re OK with that! The film does a good job showing the sometimes-bizarre and always-interesting life of a gaijin (foreigner) ballplayer in Japan.
Jack Elliot, played by Tom Selleck, is a talented but aging Major League Baseball player who finds himself traded to the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball. The movie showcases Elliot’s challenging adjustment to life in Japan and features many comical moments as he tries to acclimate to the cultural differences and customs of Japan and Japanese baseball.
The film does a good job of showing the contrasts between American and Japanese baseball cultures and is a decent introduction to NPB. It highlights the respect for tradition and importance of teamwork that is inherit in Japanese baseball versus the more individualistic approach we often see in Major League Baseball. While at first, you might not find Elliot to be a particularly charismatic protagonist, we’re willing to bet you’ll find yourself cheering him on and rooting for his redemption and success in both baseball and life.
If you’re a fan of the classic sports underdog story and comedy, Mr. Baseball is a heartwarming and humorous watch.
(Click below for streaming options, and if you want to order the DVD or Blu-Ray, click here.)
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Nichibei Yakyu: Baseball Tours of Japan
SABR has published a unique two-volume set titled Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan to mark the 150th anniversary of baseball in Japan. This collection, the first in English to do so, chronicles the visits of over 100 American and Hawaiian baseball teams to Japan since 1907. Scroll down for product details.
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Noise Cancelling, Extra Bass Earbuds
These are essential for the long flight to Japan!
If your earbuds are Apple “flash” compatible or Bluetooth, then you’ll be stuck on the plane with those cheap airline earbuds that have no bass and sound like you’re watching a movie in the airplane’s hanger. In my carry-on bag, I always bring a pair of higher quality earbuds that I can plug into the on-board entertainment system. Plus, they double as earplugs when you want to sleep!
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Portable Phone/Tablet Charger
I love this little charger. It has been a lifesaver on long train rides and flights. The 4.8A output means It even charges your phone faster than a wall outlet does! In addition, it has two USB outlets, meaning you can charge two things at once. If you are travelling in pairs, you only need one power bank. It’s a great size and weight, so it doesn’t weigh you down or take up too much space. When fully charged, it holds enough power to charge your phone several times over, but can also charge tablets, ear pods, cameras, or any device that utilizes a USB charger. Be sure to bring it along for long days exploring new cities or traveling between ballparks and never worry about running out of phone battery again. It’s an absolute must have for keeping your devices ready to capture all the magic of our baseball tours.
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Remembering Japanese Baseball: An Oral History of the Game
Historian Rob Fitts has written 6+ books about Japanese baseball, but it all started with this one. Inspired by the relative lack of written information about historical baseball figures in Japan, especially in the English language, Rob relays the tales that make up the unique character of the Japanese game. This book is an important one, and I recommend it for anyone that wants to take that next step in getting to know some of NPB’s legendary players – or just loves a great baseball story, because it’s full of them!
Rob Fitts appeared on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” Zoom call in 2020 – check out our recap of that episode here.
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Sayonara Home Run!: The Art of the Japanese Baseball Card
Japanese art, from the beautiful woodprint waves of Hokusai to the modern anime films of Studio Ghibli, has long been globally revered. Any appreciator of art and baseball will see from this book why vintage Japanese baseball cards are among the most beautiful baseball collectibles in the world.
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Shohei Ohtani LA Dodgers Painted Glove Portrait Card Art
$395.00This unique baseball card features a hand-painted portrait of Shohei Ohtani in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, created by artist Sean Kane. Scroll down for product details.
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Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Angels Bobblehead
$44.99Celebrate Ohtani’s 2018 American League Rookie of the Year victory with this exclusive limited edition bobblehead. The bobblehead is brand new and comes in its original packaging, ensuring its pristine condition. Scroll down for product details.
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Shohei Ohtani Painted Glove Portrait Card Art
$425.00Original price was: $425.00.$199.00Current price is: $199.00. -
Signed and Personalized by the Author: The Chrysanthemum and the Bat by Robert Whiting
$35.00Acclaimed author Robert Whiting is best known for his bestseller You Gotta Have Wa!, published in 1989. And he burst back onto the Japanese baseball scene with 2004’s The Meaning of Ichiro. But it all started with The Chrysanthemum and the Bat: The Game Japanese Play.
We are working with Mr. Whiting to make this book available to you with a personalized messaged in your name (or whatever name you request) and signature from the author!
Whiting moved to Japan in 1962 and found that whenever he talked to his friends back in the U.S., they always wanted to hear more of his stories of Japanese baseball. Nothing about the country’s fascinating history of rulers, the rapid transformation of Tokyo, or the perfect balance between Buddhism and Shinto – just baseball. But Whiting found that baseball was actually the perfect vehicle to talk about Japan’s unique national character.
Motivated by a $500 bet that he wouldn’t write a book within a year (as explained to JapanBall’s “Chatter Up” audience in August 2021), Whiting compiled his observations of Japan’s culture- exemplified through baseball – into this wonderful book that TIME named its 1977 sports book of the year.
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Solario Hanshin Tigers Championship Print
$30.00 – $40.00Celebrate the historic victory of the Hanshin Tigers in the 2023 Nippon Series with a unique art print by Hawaiʻi artist Solario. This exclusive piece marks their first championship since 1985 and only their second ever, featuring the Japanese phrases 夢を叶える瞬間 (“The moment the dream came true”) and 日本一 (“Best in Japan”). Scroll down for product details.
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The Chrysanthemum and the Bat by Robert Whiting (Personalized Signature fom the Author)
Acclaimed author Robert Whiting is best known for his bestseller You Gotta Have Wa!, published in 1989. And he burst back onto the Japanese baseball scene with 2004’s The Meaning of Ichiro. But it all started with The Chrysanthemum and the Bat: The Game Japanese Play.
We are working with Mr. Whiting to make this book available to you with a personalized messaged in your name (or whatever name you request) and signature from the author!
Whiting moved to Japan in 1962 and found that whenever he talked to his friends back in the U.S., they always wanted to hear more of his stories of Japanese baseball. Nothing about the country’s fascinating history of rulers, the rapid transformation of Tokyo, or the perfect balance between Buddhism and Shinto – just baseball. But Whiting found that baseball was actually the perfect vehicle to talk about Japan’s unique national character.
Motivated by a $500 bet that he wouldn’t write a book within a year (as explained to JapanBall’s “Chatter Up” audience in August 2021), Whiting compiled his observations of Japan’s culture- exemplified through baseball – into this wonderful book that TIME named its 1977 sports book of the year.
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The Meaning of Ichiro: The New Wave from Japan and the Transformation of Our National Pastime
I’m sure that many fans felt that Robert Whiting just had to write this book, and I’m sure glad that he did! In this unofficial sequel to You Gotta Have Wa, Whiting flips the script tells the fascinating stories of the trailblazing players that were part of the wave of Japanese players coming to MLB that started with Hideo Nomo in 1995. Whiting puts Nomo, Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Irabu, Alfonso Soriano, and Hideki Matsui under the microscope, exploring each of their unique backgrounds and personalities and how they contributed to creating the star player you see on TV and in MLB stadiums.
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Through a Diamond: 100 Years of Japanese American Baseball
The history of Japanese American baseball is nearly as long as the history of the game itself. This book chronicles the many iterations of Japanese American baseball, starting at the turn of the century, when Japanese immigrants used baseball as a way to garner respect from – and feel a sense of inclusion with – their white American counterparts. Baseball became a community staple in America’s Japanese communities and then became a vehicle for survival in the Japanese American concentration camps of WWII.
Author Kerry Yo Nakagawa is the founder of the Nisei Baseball Research Project, which seeks to preserve the history of Japanese American baseball and educate about the Japanese American concentration camps during World War II. Kerry Yo was a special guest on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” in April 2021, and his episode was the most powerful in our series. You can watch the video on YouTube or read the recap here.
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Tokyo Junkie: 60 Years of Bright Lights and Back Alleys . . . and Baseball
40+ years after The Chrysanthemum and the Bat, which TIME Magazine named the best sports book of the year in 1977, and 30+ years after You Gotta Have Wa, an absolute must-read for any baseball fan, Robert Whiting is at it again. The original English-language written voice of Japanese baseball now has a lifetime’s worth of perspective, wisdom, and observations from straddling the American and Japanese cultures, and this book encapsulates it all.
Read our review of the book here.
As Whiting puts describes it in the book’s prologue, the “story is part Alice in Wonderland, part Bright Lights, Big City, and part Forrest Gump, among other things. It is a coming-of-age tale as well as an account of a decades-long journey into the heart of a city undergoing one of the most remarkable and sustained metamorphoses ever seen.”
Arriving in Tokyo in 1962, Whiting entered a metropolis that was on the cusp of bursting onto the world stage, most visibly via the 1964 Olympics. Since then, the city has flourished and grown almost exponentially in so many ways, but not without its share of dark secrets and growing pains.
Whiting’s unique perspective as a curious, thoroughly-adapted foreigner who also happens to be a critical observer and world-class writer makes him the perfect person to document the city’s modern history.
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Tokyo Yomiuri Giants Cartoon Logo Adjustable Hat
This cap is Japanese baseball in a nutshell – NPB’s most famous team, and an adorable team mascot. The rabbit is Giabyi, leader of the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants’ family of rabbit mascots.
This hat is a great conversation starter at the ballpark, especially around San Francisco, which is full of SF Giants fans. It’s not uncommon for this hat to lead to a conversation about how cool Japanese baseball is!
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Travel Laundry Detergent
I take pride in packing light, but I couldn’t do so without these. Humid climates like those in Japan and the Dominican Republic make re-wearing clothes without washing them a disservice to your fellow travelers, but it’s often impractical to do laundry when we’re traveling up and down the country watching baseball games. These detergent packs let you do a small load of laundry in your hotel room’s sink or bathtub. Hang the wet clothes overnight, especially with the AC on, and you’ll be fresh and ready to sweat again in the morning.
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Wally Yonamine: The Man Who Changed Japanese Baseball
In a sea of baseball biographies, this one is a shimmering tropical fish! Rob Fitts certainly picked a good subject in Yonamine, the standout baseball and football player from Hawaii. The history of Japanese baseball couldn’t be told without Wally Yonamine, but his story is uniquely American too. I just wish that I could have seen Wally play in person!
Rob Fitts appeared on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” Zoom call in 2020 – check out our recap of that episode here.
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Warren Cromartie Autographed 1986 Calbee Tokyo Yomiuri Giants Card with Beckett Authentication (BAS)
$49.00Original price was: $49.00.$39.00Current price is: $39.00.A first-round draft pick in 1973, Warren Cromartie shot straight to the major leagues, debuting with the Montreal Expos at age 20 one year later. He was a fixture in the Montreal lineup from 1977 to 1983, endearing himself to Expos fans for his charisma and excellent performance in the 1982 NLDS.
When he decided to go to Japan for the 1984 season at age 30, “Cro” became arguably the first American player to transfer to NPB in the middle of his prime. And what a brilliant move it was! Cromartie became a legend in Japan, leading the iconic Yomiuri Giants franchise to the 1989 Japan Series title after a Central League MVP season. With his competitive flare, clutch bat, and willingness to acclimate to the Japanese culture (including learning the language fluently), Cromartie is still revered by Giants fans.
His final NPB stats over seven seasons are the stuff of legend: batted over .300 five times, slugged 171 home runs, and led the team in home runs and batting twice and RBIs three times. He was a three-time Central League All-Star and “Best Nine” in addition to winning the 1989 MVP.
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Warren Cromartie Autographed 1990 Calbee Tokyo Yomiuri Giants Card with Beckett Authentication (BAS) Auto Grade 10
$59.00Original price was: $59.00.$49.00Current price is: $49.00.A first-round draft pick in 1973, Warren Cromartie shot straight to the major leagues, debuting with the Montreal Expos at age 20 one year later. He was a fixture in the Montreal lineup from 1977 to 1983, endearing himself to Expos fans for his charisma and excellent performance in the 1982 NLDS.
When he decided to go to Japan for the 1984 season at age 30, “Cro” became arguably the first American player to transfer to NPB in the middle of his prime. And what a brilliant move it was! Cromartie became a legend in Japan, leading the iconic Yomiuri Giants franchise to the 1989 Japan Series title after a Central League MVP season. With his competitive flare, clutch bat, and willingness to acclimate to the Japanese culture (including learning the language fluently), Cromartie is still revered by Giants fans.
His final NPB stats over seven seasons are the stuff of legend: batted over .300 five times, slugged 171 home runs, and led the team in home runs and batting twice and RBIs three times. He was a three-time Central League All-Star and “Best Nine” in addition to winning the 1989 MVP.
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Warren Cromartie Signed Yomiuri Giants Photo w/ “1989 Japan Series Champs”
$44.00Original price was: $44.00.$38.00Current price is: $38.00.A first-round draft pick in 1973, Warren Cromartie shot straight to the major leagues, debuting with the Montreal Expos at age 20 one year later. He was a fixture in the Montreal lineup from 1977 to 1983, endearing himself to Expos fans for his charisma and excellent performance in the 1982 NLDS.
When he decided to go to Japan for the 1984 season at age 30, “Cro” became arguably the first American player to transfer to NPB in the middle of his prime. And what a brilliant move it was! Cromartie became a legend in Japan, leading the iconic Yomiuri Giants franchise to the 1989 Japan Series title after a Central League MVP season. With his competitive flare, clutch bat, and willingness to acclimate to the Japanese culture (including learning the language fluently), Cromartie is still revered by Giants fans.
His final NPB stats over seven seasons are the stuff of legend: batted over .300 five times, slugged 171 home runs, and led the team in home runs and batting twice and RBIs three times. He was a three-time Central League All-Star and “Best Nine” in addition to winning the 1989 MVP.
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Wladimir Balentien Signed 4×6 Photo
$16.00Original price was: $16.00.$11.00Current price is: $11.00.Note: On January 22, Balentien announced that he would be leaving NPB. In recognition of his 11 seasons in Japan, we are offering this piece at 11% off the original price!
This photo was autographed by NPB superstar Wladimir Balentien in 2005, when he was a rising 21-year-old in the Seattle Mariners organization, playing centerfield for the Inland Empire 66ers. NPB fans may be surprised to hear that the now-humongous “Coco” was a centerfielder back then, especially if they knew that he was on the same team as Adam Jones. Balentien, however, was an athletic young player with a cannon for an arm out of Curacao (he has represented the Netherlands in the Olympics and World Baseball Classic), and Jones was still playing shortstop.
Balentien made it to the big leagues at just 23 years old, but he never could quite stick over his three seasons with the Mariners and Cincinnati Reds. In 2011, he signed with NPB’s Tokyo Yakult Swallows, and the rest is history. Balentien is one of the best power hitters in NPB history, exemplified by his amazing 2013 season when he shattered Sadaharu Oh’s famed single-season home run record with 60 homers. Now with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Balentien expects to reach 300 NPB home runs in 2021.
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Worldwide AC Power Adapter + USB Charger
This worldwide AC adapter is an indispensable accessory for modern globetrotters and baseball tourists alike. This single adapter includes five plug types and works in 150 countries, including some of our favorite places for baseball tours like South Korea, Japan, Europe, and more!
Simply pack this all-in-one adapter for your trip and use it to charge phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, headphones, e-readers, and more. The two USB ports ensure that you can lighten your travel load by leaving bulky charging blocks at home and gives you the ability to charge multiple devices simultaneously.
I like the peace of mind knowing that I’ll be able to charge my devices anywhere in the world with this adapter. I keep it with my travel stuff, and it goes wherever I go!