PRAISE FOR ROBERT K. FITTS’S Wally Yonamine: Th e Man Who Changed Japanese Baseball “Fitts’s expertise in Japanese baseball emerges throughout the narrative, as readers come to understand the evolution of baseball in Japan. . . . [Wally Yonamine] serves as a great primer on the general historical evolution of Japanese baseball, seen through the career of Wally Yonamine.” — ERIC B. SALO, nine “Extensively researched, well-written, and endlessly informative and fascinating, this book makes an excellent addition to anyone’s baseball library and is absolutely required reading for anyone interested in Japanese-American baseball relations.” — MICHAEL STREET, Baseball Daily Digest “Th is is a must-read and a must-add to the bookshelf for those with an interest in the history of Japanese baseball, and a worthwhile read for any baseball fan looking to broaden their knowledge of this great game that has spread around the globe.” — PAT LAGREID, Baseballbookreview.com “A great read about a Japanese baseball player who has been too long overlooked.” — L. A. HEAPY, choice BANZAI BABE RUTH BAN Z A I BABE R UTH Baseball, Espionage, & Assassination during the 1934 Tour of Japan robert k . fit ts University of Nebraska Press • Lincoln and London © 2012 by Robert K. Fitts. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fitts, Robert K., 1965– Banzai Babe Ruth : baseball, espionage, and assassination during the 1934 tour of Japan / Robert K. Fitts. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-8032-2984-6 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Baseball—United States—History—20th century. 2. Baseball—Japan—History—20th century. 3. Ruth, Babe, 1895–1948. 4. Sports and state—United States. 5. United States— Foreign relations—20th century. 6. Civilization —American infl uences. I. Title. gv863.a1f58 2012 796.357—dc23 2011027373 set in chaparral pro by kim essman designed by a . shahan In memory of Wally Yonamine, a true gentleman who inspired all who knew him to become better people Contents List of Illustrations viii Recurring Japanese Characters ix Prologue xiii part 1 “When I say I’ll do something, I bet my life on it.” 1 part 2 “Babe Ruth . . . is a great deal more eff ective Ambassador than I could ever be.” 83 part 3 “Th e Japanese are equal to the Americans in strength of spirit.” 153 part 4 “Th ere will be no war between the United States and Japan.” 193 part 5 “To hell with Babe Ruth!” 233 appendix 1. Th e All American Touring Party 273 appendix 2. Tour Batting and Pitching Statistics 275 appendix 3. Tour Game Line Scores 277 Acknowledgments 281 Notes 285 Bibliography 299 Index 309