NISEI BALLPLAYERS
at the Japan Hall of Fame, Tokyo 1. Harry ‘Tar’ Shirachi, Pitcher, ( Salinas Taiyos )
Harry was an all-star pitcher for the Salinas Taiyos. His deceptive style and change of speed kept batters off balance at every level he pitched. He toured with the Stockton Yamatos in 1928 to Japan and Korea. He teamed up with fellow pitcher Bozo Wakabayashi, ( the first Nisei Hall of Famer in Japan ), and in 1937 went through the Midwest on a baseball tour playing in the same tournament with Satchel Paige. Harry is 92 years young.
2. Bill Tsukamoto, Outfield, ( Florin Athletic Club ),
During the war, Bill and his brother Yosh were interned and played for the Jerome, Arkansas team. They defeated visiting teams from Arkansas A&M and Airforce. The 442/100th also came to Jerome to play. While playing for the M.I.S. team at Fort Snelling in Minnesota, Bill got a triple off of Yankee Pitcher Spud Chandler to help his team win 4-2.
3. Yosh Tsukamoto, Third Base, ( Florin Athletic Club ),
Yosh was a all-star infielder for Florin A.C. and helped his M.I.S. team win the double-header off of Spurgeon Chandler. Spud was a 21 game winner that year and won 2 games in the 1943 world series.
4. Jim Tsukamoto, Pitcher, ( Florin Athletic Club ),
Jim played semi-pro ball for the Northstar all-stars and had 21 strike outs pitching for Sacramento City College. Jim is the only Nisei to be inducted into the LaSalle Hall of Fame for Baseball in Sacramento, California.
5. Masaru Takaki, Centerfield, ( Delano Athletic Club ),
Mas was named to the 1940 Central California all-star team and was a star running back in football for Delano High School.
6. William ‘Wild Bill’ Kagawa, Pitcher, ( Lodi Y.M.B.A.)
‘Wild Bill’ was famous for his 90 mile an hour fastball and was feared because of his ‘Wild’ pitches. He was on the Championship Lodi squad that upset the San Pedro Skippers in 1940. The Skipper’s averaged 14 runs a game.
7. Masao Iriyama, Shortstop ( Guadalupe Y.M.B.A.),
Masao was a all-star on any team and in any league. Masao and his brother Noboru were baseball legends in the Guadalupe region. While Masao was batting .400 for his Tule Lake California Team in a Detention Camp, his brother was killed in action flying over Tokyo for the Sho-en Koku-Hei.
8. Hiroshi V. Sakamoto, Shortstop, ( S.F. Hawks ),
Hiroshi was a all-star shortstop for San Francisco State in the early 60’s. He competed with Tom Seaver who pitched for USC. Hiroshi’s brother Satoshi was the founder of the post war San Francisco Hawks Nisei Team.
9. Nori Masuda, Left field, (Fresno Athletic Club ),
Nori was on the 1942 Championship Fresno Assembly Center team. His claim to fame was running after a fly ball in left field and making a bare handed catch.
10. Kaz Ikeda, Outfield, ( Arroyo Grande Y.M.B.A. ),
Recently retired as Arroyo Grande’s Mr. Baseball, ( 30 yrs. ), for youth leagues. Kaz was a all-star catcher for the Prewar Nisei teams he played for.
11. Kay Kiyokawa, Pitcher, ( Hood River, Oregon ),
Kay was the starting pitcher for Oregon state in the late 30’s and then was sent to Tule Lake. The Quaker religion came into the Detention Camp and sponsored Kay and his sister to the University of Connecticut. Kay became the starting running back and pitcher for the University team in 1944. Kay is 4’ 10” tall.
12. Wally Yonamine, Outfielder ( 49er’s, Tokyo Giants),
Wally was drafted straight out of Farrington High School to play for the 1947 San Francisco 49er’s. He played one season and then was signed by Lefty O’Doul the following year to play with the San Francisco Seals. He encouraged Wally to play pro ball in Japan for the Tokyo Giants. Wally helped his team win three straight Japan Series titles and then went on to play for ten years ending his career with a .311 lifetime average. He coached and managed for 26 more years in Japan. He was the ‘Jackie Robinson’ of the Nisei players and was only the second Nisei ballplayer to be inducted into the Japan Hall of Fame.
13. Dr. Tak Susuki, ( Ventura Merchants )
Tak played on integrated merchant teams and in the Nite Leagues. He was on the Ventura Los Angeles team that faced Babe Ruth on his barnstorming tour in the 30’s. He later served with the 442/552 Regimental Combat Team ( All-Nisei) during World War II that liberated the Dachua Death Camp in Germany. He is the only Nisei Palentologist in America.
14. George ‘Tak’ ‘Beanball’ Abo, ( Fresno Athletic Club, San Jose Asahi’s, Fresno State),
George was a all-star pitcher for the Nisei’s and at the college level. He pitched for four years at Fresno State and in 1946 he was voted the All-Central Californian All-American Pitcher for his team. He later went to Japan and became a professional Bowler and invented a machine to drill the holes in the bowling balls.
Japan Baseball Hall of Fame - Tokyo Japan
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