This is the unlikely story of how a shy young man from the sugar plantations of maui overcame prejudice. In stark contrast to the beginning of the book where any and every minor detail is included to reveal yonamine s development into the person he became, the last few chapters just kind of. Buy wally yonamine cards online wally yonamine baseball price. Shop a lot of sf giants baseball and much more available on sale on the internet. I have the rob fitts book a very good read and the wally yonamine rookie card i got on ebay on feb 26, 2017 from prestige collectibles. Wally yonamine autographed baseball with covered stand official. Hes also in the new giants 80th anniversary set as well but hes only been in a couple of bbms ob sets over the years the 20th century best 9 from 2000, the 2003 sluggers and 2006 nostalgic. Another remarkable story is that of kaname wally yonamine, who at the suggestion of odoul signed with the yomiuri giants at a time americans were not yet joining professional teams in japan following the war. Jsa wally yonamine kenichi yazawa yukitsura matsumoto. Sadaharu oh society for american baseball research. The third of seven nisei children, wally yonamine was a major sports pioneer in both the u. An american changes the way japanese baseball is played and becomes a legend for it.
The third of seven nisei children, wally yonamine was a major sports. Baseball, espionage, and assassination during the 1934 tour of japan, winner of the society for american baseball researchs 20 seymour medal for the best baseball book, and wally yonamine. I will be doing a book signing with masanori murakami at legends sports bar on may 30, 2017 from 7 to 9 pm. Most are from 1949, when he threw 11 completegame wins in 11 starts. Fitts did his homework, interviewing players, friends, family members, and yonamine himself.
Happy birthday wally kaname yonamine postwar baseball cards forum pre1980 welcome to. The other side of a scandal over the years ive been fortunate enough to hear from several of the players whose portraits and stories ive included on my website, and that continued after my book the league of outsider baseball came out in may. I saw a bunch of their games and enjoyed the sport. Baseball, espionage, and assassination during the 1934 tour of japan. One day after graduating high school, yonamine was drafted two months before world war ii ended. Fitts is most concerned with wallys baseball career, but he also talks about his upbringing, his football career, pearl harbor, and stealing watermelons. Regardless, the prices listed in this guide represent what the items. As a high school junior, yonamine left his home to play football for farrington high school in honolulu. Wally yonamine autographed baseball with covered stand official rawlings national league ball. According to the book, the card im showing here shows in clockwise order masayuki dobashi of the flyers, tatsuo okitsu of the carp, wally yonamine of the dragons and jun hakota of the swallows. Hiro yamagata japanese essence shooting stars silk screen autograph edition. Wally yonamine goodreads meet your next favorite book. Wally yonamine was both the first japanese american to play for an nfl franchise and the first american to play professional baseball in japan after world war ii.
The japan hall of famer and former san francisco 49ers running back was managing the chunichi dragons in the 70s at the time this baseball was signed. In stark contrast to the beginning of the book where any and every minor detail is included to reveal yonamines development into the person he became, the last few chapters just kind of. How baseball has strengthened the relationship between the united states and japan the effects of war, economic tension and accidental deaths have. Wally yonamine was both the first japanese american to play for an nfl franchise and the first american to play professional baseball in japan. Peering out from a bronze plaque of his likeness in japans baseball hall of fame in tokyo, bespectacled wally kaname yonamine hardly seems a groundshaking revolutionary. Along the way, yonamine endured insults, dodged rocks thrown by fans, initiated riots, and was threatened by yakuzathe japanese mafia. How baseball has strengthened the relationship between the. Fittss expertise in japanese baseball emerges throughout the narrative, as readers come to understand the evolution of baseball in japan. His success on the gridiron allowed him to escape the plantation and eventually sign with the san francisco 49ers in 1947. Join the hunt in this wonderful mini edition with free magnifying glass. Wally yonamine was born in 1925 on a maui sugar plantation to poor japanese immigrants. Reflections on a splendid life sportstown series by baldassaro, lawrence and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Hawaiian wally yonamine was the first american to play professional baseball in japan after world war ii when he joined the giants in 1951.
The guide provides pricing for items that have already been certified by a respected third party authenticator. I mentioned the other day that wally yonamine was in bbms 80th anniversary batters edition and that it was kind of rare for him to appear in an ob set. Copies of the book mashi will be 3000 yen which mashi will autograph for free. San francisco ap hall of fame fullback joe perry, the first player with backtoback 1,000yard rushing seasons and nicknamed the jet for his sensational speed, died monday. In the beginning there was wally wally yonamine midweek. Includes copies signed by rob of mashi, banzai babe ruth, wally yonamine, and remembering japanese baseball. A multiskilled outfielder, as a giant yonamine was a member of four japan series championship teams, the central league most valuable player in 1957, a consecutive seventime best nine award winner 1952. Seriously, i read four books and never wrote about them. This is the unlikely story of how a shy young man from the sugar plantations of maui overcame prejudice to integrate two professional sports in two countries. The japan hall of famer and former san francisco 49ers running back was managing the chunichi. For sale is an authentic rare autographed baseball book handsigned by wally yonamine. You could say that he was my mentor for every facet of the game of baseball when i turned pro. Once wally becomes a coach, then manager, the pace of the book picks up until it reaches its conclusion of wally being inducted in the japanese hall of fame.
Autograph signed auto japanese baseball book sf 49er giants. Sadaharu oh the first autograph i got when i visited korakuen stadium when i was an elementary school kid was yonaminesans. The great orioles autograph project my goal is to eventually have a signed orioles baseball card of every modern era player to have played in a game for my favorite team. The man who changed japanese baseball tells the story of the jackie robinson of japan. Wally yonamine, who was born in olowalu, maui, made his mark in. Because the book covers such a broad time periodyonamine stayed in japan as a player, coach, and manager for thirtyseven yearsit serves as a great primer on the general historical evolution of japanese baseball, seen through the career of wally.
When they do not have a card in an os uniform or any card at all, i will try to get any autograph available. Wally yonamine book available sports collectors digest. This guide should be used for authenticated items only. Original cover art for nfl program san francisco 49ers vs ny giants 8181957. Wally yonamine was born in hawaii to japanese parents. Tim schulz the chicago sting got me interested in soccer. Sf giants baseball for sale gardening tools and supplies. This book is the definitive record of wally yonamines life. Onecard wonders, update 10 8 hours ago the angels, in order. After an injury ended his football career, yonamine turned to baseball. Theres a problem with this identification, however.
Japanese baseball hall of fame in tokyo features many. Rikidozan autograph vintage japanese wrestling legend wwe hall of fame. This book contains 25 interviews with men who played in japan including masanori murakami, plus a standardsize baseball card of masanori murakami designed by renown artist jesse loving of ars longa art cards plus a big thank you on our web site. Clay dalrymple society for american baseball research. Please click the button below to use our information request form, call 617 2266520 or email email protected for more details and to receive pricing information. Wally yonamine, who was the first american to play professional baseball in japan after world war ii, has often been compared to jackie robinson for integrating the japanese game. These forums are devoted to both pre and post war baseball cards and vintage memorabilia, as well as other sports. He started with an oral history, remembering japanese baseball, in 2005, followed three years later by a biography of wally yonamine, the first asianamerican to play pro football and the first american to play professional baseball in japan. Earlier book a paperback copy of remembering japanese baseball signed by author rob fitts. Printing plate i picked up this 20 topps update ryan roberts yellow printing plate off ebay on thursday and had it in my mailbox on friday. Buy lifes gamble1 now and monitor lifes gamble1 deals remotely using browser, xml, email, to save on lifes gamble1. Take the wally challenge and go up and down the corridors of time, wander the fantastic flower garden, witness the mighty fruit fight, visit clown town and see many other wondrous wonderlands. Fitts university of nebraska press includes an anecdote about the hungry, adventurous yonamine boys stealing a watermelon, despite getting fired at by a shotguntoting farmer.
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