Baseball Hall of Fame to highlight history of Japan-U.S. ties in new exhibit

The Japan Times

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Baseball Hall of Fame to highlight history of Japan-U.S. ties in new exhibit

Masanori Murakami was a 19-year-old pitcher for the Nankai Hawks when the club sent him to the San Francisco Giants’ Single-A team as part of an exchange program in 1964. The Giants liked what they saw and extended the left-hander’s stay. San Francisco called him up to the top team late in the season and Murakami, then 20, became Japan’s first MLB player on Sept. 1, 1964.