This book came recommended to me by a few people, and while I had had an interest in reading it for a good three years or so, it was not until recently that I got my hands on it and cracked it open. The first few chapters were completely mesmerizing for me, and I learned a whole lot of things about Tadashi Wakabayashi that I did not previously know. Most astounding of all was that during the 1949 offseason, he visited a juvenile prison in Nara Prefecture, gave the lads a plaque, and pretty much single-handedly organized a tournament for them to participate in. “You have long lives ahead of you. Use baseball to help start you on the right path, as you learn about discipline, teamwork, sacrifice…” This was essentially his message. The plaque remained at the facility for decades, a symbol of hope for the boys who needed that encouragement to pick themselves up after having committed some mistake in their early lives.
This happened during the same offseason as Wakabayashi left the Hanshin Tigers and with it, stardom and the adulation of thousands of fans. His destination? Traitorhood, a new team, a new league, and a place in the history of the game in Japan. He was one of the main reasons that there is a Pacific League to this day, that there is a Japan Series, and so much more. Wakabayashi not only influenced the current formation of the league, but also had a say in:
- the Tigers’ current logo (which was apparently influenced by Wakabayashi’s alma mater – McKinley High in Honolulu, Hawaii – and has remained largely unchanged since its birth in 1935)
- the Tigers’ official song (now known as Rokko Oroshi)
- the “lucky zone” that shortened Koshien’s outfield by several feet in an attempt to create more offense and draw more fans to games
- the predecessor to the current Tigers fan club, which has only been around since 2004 (his original version mainly gave kids free admission to baseball games)
- the players’ union and an increase in players’ salaries and treatment, including “free agency” (in its infancy, anyways)
As such, the first 50+ pages of this book read like an eye-opener. One man, born over 100 years ago, left an indelible print on not only the organization that I adore, but on the entire league and system, flawed as it may be. I can imagine that if he were still with us, he would be putting dozens of new ideas and policies into motion.
That said, there were definitely parts of this book that dragged on for pages and chapters at a time without really capturing my interest. Perhaps I am not acquainted enough with Japanese history, baseball history, or Hanshin history, to appreciate the care that went into writing this 330-page tome. It definitely made sure that no stone was left unturned, including some of Wakabayashi’s personal life, and also included some minutiae of his playing days, including the shortest ever recorded 9-inning game, his involvement in the first-ever Japan Series (which his team won), and plans for a triumphant return to Hanshin that never happened.
Unfortunately, Wakabayashi’s life was cut short as he passed on at age 57. The author did, however, get to talk in detail with Wakabayashi’s second son, Tadaharu, who continues to act as the CEO of Nishi Sports in Tokyo. Through him, many artifacts were disclosed and many anecdotes were retold so that we could enjoy them decades after they happened.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this book, but it did take me a long time to get through it – particularly the middle part. I’m giving it a rating of a scoreless inning that saw three runners reach base. In other words, thrilling but a little too long for my liking.