Win a copy of “Banzai Babe Ruth”

I’m giving away my copy of Banzai Babe Ruth, a great book from Robert K. Fitts that I reviewed a couple of months ago.

All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post below. I’d also appreciate if you’d follow us on Twitter @HighHeatStats and also “like” us on the Facebook widget below to the right, but neither is a necessity for you to enter. At some point I will close comments and use random.org to pick a random winning comment.

Meanwhile, I got the chance to ask Rob Fitts some questions, so here is my mini-interview:

Andy from High Heat Stas: “Banzai Babe Ruth” is your third book on baseball in Japan. What has drawn you to this topic?

Rob Fitts: It’s a really long story but here’s the short version.  In 1993 my wife was transferred to Tokyo.  I was working on my ph.d. so I could accompany her. We lived for there for two years.  I was a big American baseball fan when we went over there so I used my love of baseball to acclimate myself to Japan. I spend a couple afternoons each week scouring Tokyo’s flea markets looking for old Japanese baseball cards, went to games at night and even played on a company team.  The enthusiasm the Japanese showed for baseball was exciting. Remember this was 1993-4, right before the strike, American baseball was at an all-time low.  So during those two years I wanted to learn all I could about Japanese baseball.  This eventually lead me to do my own research and write the books.

Andy HHS: What was the biggest challenge you faced when researching “Banzai Babe Ruth”?

Rob Fitts: The language barrier- no question.  I can only read a little Japanese so I had to use interpreters and translators.  that was time consuming, expensive and some times frustrating, but I was lucky to find a bilingual research assistant who really helped.

Andy HHS: What have you learned about Japanese baseball that is helpful for understanding or assessing today’s NPB players appearing in MLB?

Rob Fitts: Most of the players who come over from Japan have the baseball skills to play in the Majors.  Their success is based on how they adapt to the United States both on the diamond and off.  The games are played a little differently.  MLB players are faster, stronger, and better hitters than the average  Japanese player.  Japanese pitchers must get used to facing good hitters throughout the lineup.  In Japan starters also usually pitch once a week.  In MLB that have to get used to pitching every 5 days.  But more important, the Japanese players have to adapt to their new surroundings. They have to get used to American culture, the food, the language, clubhouse culture, the media…  I think that might be the most difficult transition.

To enter the contest to win a copy of Rob’s great book, just leave a comment below. Or, you can buy your own copy directly right here.

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christopher kamka
christopher kamka
12 years ago

Very intrigued by this book. Hope to read it soon!

Jeff
Jeff
12 years ago

Great stuff. Would love a book.

@tranquil_serene
@tranquil_serene
12 years ago

From a friend who has been, apparently nothing like seeing baseball in Japan

Brandon
12 years ago

Sounds like a great read.

MrDave
12 years ago

I’m intrigued. Comment inserted.

Hartvig
Hartvig
12 years ago

I was hoping that one of his other books about Japanese baseball may have been about Lefty O’Doul but alas t’was not to be. I did however find 2 books about Lefty- one published this year by Cohn & Russell and another released in 1997 by Leutzinger but the first is unavailable and the second is $15 used- has anyone read either of them and are they any good?

Hartvig
Hartvig
12 years ago
Reply to  Andy

Missed the link to your review. Actually I think it was your review that got me thinking that I would like to read more about O’Doul in Japan in the first place.

Kenny
Kenny
12 years ago

Am I allowed to comment? I wonder how many Japanese postage stamps depict elements of baseball in Japan….

TheGoof
TheGoof
12 years ago

Saw this at the library. Looks great! I read a number of books about baseball in Japan years ago. It’s been a long time, so I’ve forgotten most of it.

John Autin
Editor
12 years ago

I appreciated the mini-interview, particularly his last answer. Sometimes I forget that, in addition to being followed by packs of media, Japanese-born players in MLB are dealing with a huge cultural adjustment. It must be hard to relax, which is important to hitting. Maybe that’s why Japanese pitchers have had relatively better results here than the hitters.

P.S. This is not meant as a contest entry, unless you feel that would be appropriate.

Jeff F.
Jeff F.
12 years ago

Would definitely love a copy.

Luis Gomez
Luis Gomez
12 years ago

Over the last couple of years HHS (and old B-Ref) bloggers have recommended great baseball books, I hope this is a great book as well.

Thomas Court
Thomas Court
12 years ago

I would love your copy Andy… Hope you didn’t dog ear any of the pages.

Pete Cottrell
Pete Cottrell
12 years ago

I’ll throw my hat into the ring. Been likin’ HHS on FB for several months now…

kds
kds
12 years ago

Any book with Moe Berg has got to be good.

Max
Max
12 years ago

Love books. Hate twitter.

Jeff
Jeff
12 years ago

Sounds interesting.

Don
Don
12 years ago

Looks like an interesting book.

mosc
mosc
12 years ago

“Love books. Hate twitter.”

Yeah, same. Sorry I can’t help you with your twitter following.

nightfly
12 years ago

I’ll toss my cap into the ring. Comment #20… hey, Howard Johnson! Cool.

nightfly
12 years ago
Reply to  nightfly

Ahhhh, darnit mosc! Now I’m Kevin Elster.

Pops8
Pops8
12 years ago

It’s be interesting to learn about the grand old game and how it translates across the globe. Count me in. But I was all set for some Kevin Elster love …

Pops8
Pops8
12 years ago

It’s be interesting to learn about the grand old game and how it translates across the globe. Count me in. But I was all set for some Kevin Elster love …

Jason Z
12 years ago

Love the Moe Berg story which I posted about previously when you posted about this book.

Also, having recently read Joe Dimaggio’s attorney, Morris Engelberg’s (sp?)
book about Joe D. I know that Lefty O’Doul was one of Joe’s very trusted
friends in San Francisco from the 1930’s on.

Any insight about O’Doul yields incite about Joe D.

As anyone can tell from reading my posts extolling Babe Ruth or defending the
honor of Mariano Rivera (just kidding Neil L), I am a huge Yankee fan and would love to learn more about one of the Joe D’s trusted confidants.

PhilM
PhilM
12 years ago

Every time I take the time to look at Japanese baseball, I’m amazed at the depth of history they’ve developed in parallel to North American ball. I’m looking forward to reading this — purchased or won!

Darien
12 years ago

I’m game. Sounds like a fun read!

NatsLady
NatsLady
12 years ago

I’m in. Need winter reading…!

Jeffrey A Pelletier
Jeffrey A Pelletier
12 years ago

Would love to read this!

Albanate
Albanate
12 years ago

Don’t know if you’ve picked a winner yet, but if you haven’t, you can add my name to the list of those interested in the book.