Baseball Diplomacy and Japan

Baseball came to Japan in the late nineteenth century and quickly grew in popularity. As Japanese interest in the sport grew, Japanese leagues and school teams were formed. Visiting American teams played some of these Japanese teams – and usually won – but even in defeat, Japanese baseball players were learning from the best players in the world and were demonstrating great skill. In 1934, an American All Star team including Babe Ruth, Moe Berg, Clint Brown, Jimmie Foxx, and Lou Gehrig arrived in Japan to play a series of exhibition games. In one game, Ruth, Gehrig, and Foxx were struck out in quick succession by Eiji Sawamura – a 17 year old Japanese pitcher. It was an incredible performance by the young pitcher and a sign that Japanese baseball was on the rise.
During the Occupation of Japan, General MacArthur encouraged “baseball diplomacy” as a way to rebuild Japanese morale and create another bridge between the United States and Japan. Under MacArthur’s tenure, American teams once again traveled to Japan and major Japanese leagues took shape. In later life, MacArthur credited baseball with helping to win the peace in Japan after the war.