PROFESSIONAL LUNCHEON
The first Japanese player to play in the Majors
Masanori Murakami, First Japanese Major League Baseball player
12:00-13:30 Monday, September 2, 2024
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation
September 2 (September 1 in the United States) marks the 60th anniversary of the first time a Japanese baseball player appeared in a U.S. Major League game. Masanori 'Mashi' Murakami played for the San Francisco Giants and made his debut as a relief pitcher at New York's Shea Stadium.
His foray into Major League history ignited a tug-of-war across the Pacific, which culminated in a 1966 agreement between Major League Baseball and the Japan Professional League to honor each other's player contracts. This agreement essentially prevented Japanese players from playing in the U.S. for the next 30 years, until Hideo Nomo (and his agent Don Nomura) broke down the doors, allowing Japanese to join overseas teams.
Murakami will come to the Club to recall those early days as a Japanese player in the Majors and to reflect on the successes and challenges that Japanese players have seen in the intervening decades.
How to attend the event in person:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number.
To attend this event, the lunch charge for members is 2,500 yen and for non-members 3,000 yen (+ include tax) and cancellation deadlines are at noon on August 30, Friday. Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation. Please note lunch will not be served after the speech begins and working journalists and student members can attend the event after the meal service for free.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/ambboTkn1bm39bab9
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee