In the Japanese ballpark : behind the scenes of Nippon Professional Baseball

Fitts, Robert K., 1965- author, interviewer.

Book

Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press, [2025]

©2025

xxv, 274 pages, 6 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

illustration

plate

bibliography bibliography

index index

"Baseball is the national pastime of both the United States and Japan, but the two countries approach and play the game differently both on the field and away from it. To shed light on these differences and help fans gain a greater appreciation for Nippon Professional Baseball, Robert K. Fitts turns to the true experts, the people who play, oversee, promote, and watch the game, to find out what makes Japanese baseball special. In the Japanese Ballpark features engaging interviews with twenty-six baseball personalities to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the game"-- Dust jacket flap.

Nihon Yakyū Kikō.

Baseball -- Japan.

Baseball players -- Japan -- Interviews.

Baseball managers -- Japan -- Interviews.

Interviews.

Biographies.

Behind the scenes of Nippon Professional Baseball

Introduction -- Japanese baseball timeline -- Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) teams -- Glossary -- Part 1: Setting the stage. Robert Whiting, journalist -- Part 2: On the diamond. Matt Murton, player ; Shungo Fukunaga, minor league player ; Natsuo Yamazaki, umpire ; Trey Hillman, manager -- Part 3: In the ballpark. Jim Allen, sportswriter ; Jennie Roloff Rothman, superfan ; Yasuro Karibe, oendan leader ; Taylor Foote, mascot team ; Saori Ogure, cheerleader ; Keiko Suzuki, uriko (beer girl) ; Kenjiro Kajita, ballpark security and intern -- Part 4: In the clubhouse. Toshihiro Nagata, data analyst ; Ichiro Kitano, trainer ; Ken Iwamoto, interpreter --

Part 5: The front office. Marty Kuehnert, general manager ; Tomoko Namba, team owner ; Shun Kakazu, assistant general manager ; Jonathan Fine, assistant general manager -- Part 6: The business of baseball. Shigeo Araki, marketing director ; Tomoki Negishi, marketing and business development ; Noamichi Yokota, marketing and merchandising ; Ryozo Kato, NPB Commissioner ; Edwin Dominguez Alvarez, agent ; Tatsuo Shinke, sport cards -- Part 7: Conclusion. Bobby Valentine, manager -- Appendix A: Tips on following NPB from outside of Japan -- Appendix B: Tips on collecting Japanese baseball cards and memorabilia -- Appendix C: Tips on attending games in Japan -- Appendix D: Recommended English-language books on NPB.

9781496244079