Japan & Korea Recaps, Okinawa, Europe, Reading, and More

Dear Shane,

Big update here! Please see below for info on the following topics:

Lots of new articles on our website, including the comprehensive list of current and former Asian Americans in MLB, the postseason wrap-up of Japanese MLB imports (Thank you Carter Cromwell for another full-season of monthly recaps!, and some interesting NPB content. Scroll all the way down to the "Latest Articles and Features" section for the links.

Japan and Korea tour recaps

Okinawa Spring Training Tour last call!

Europe tour info

Former NPB standout RJ Reynolds autograph signing

Asian Americans in Baseball

I am very proud of our recently-published articles that attempts to cover all of the current and former Asian Americans in Major League Baseball.

Please reply to this email and let me know if we left anyone out that you think should be included.

Japan and South Korea Tour Recaps

We had 35 baseball lovers join us for our Japan and Korea tours! Thank you to those who came out, and to you new friends, welcome to the JapanBall family.

A successful first trip to Korea was fantastic, and I can't wait to return next year. And it felt SO good to finally return to Japan after a forced, four-year hiatus.

Highlights of the tour included:

The KBO fan energy was enthusiastic and choreographed for 27 outs. The demographic of the crowd was largely starry-eyed females in their 20s, which was a huge surprise but awesome for the gameday experience because it was like being at a K-pop concert!
Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese MLB player, joined our Japan Pre-Tour Welcome Dinner.
Author and historian Rob Fitts gave our group a private tour of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.
Five new inductees into the JapanBall Hall of Fame, including our founder and this year's tour guide, Bob Bavasi!
JapanBall's first time at the world-class Es Con Field Hokkaido, home of the Nippon-Ham Fighters.

Check out these articles for a full recap of our tours.

Last Call for Okinawa!

Ready for Spring Training yet?? Our first tour of 2024 is only four months away: Okinawa Spring Training in February.

Experience this historic island's unique culture and enjoy the NPB spring vibes that will take you back to the romantic days of Grapefruit and Cactus League past, when "Spring Training" was just "spring training," a hidden gem for baseball purists.

We will be cutting it close regarding whether we have enough guests to proceed with the tour, so please let me know if you're considering joining us.

Visit Okinawa tour page to Sign up for no-obligation list

Looking to 2024 - Honkbalweek in the Netherlands

Speaking of hidden gems, Honkbalweek in July 2024 is certainly on par with NPB Spring Training, the Arizona Fall League, and the Midnight Sun Game.

The 2024 tournament will be July 12-19; I expect our tour dates to be July 14-20. I will finalize the details by the end of this year, but those are most likely the tour dates.

Read our 2022 Tour recap, watch the video below, and I dare you to resist this European baseball adventure!

Visit Europe tour page to Sign up for no-obligation list

RJ Reynolds Autograph Signing

RJ Reynolds, former outfielder for MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates and NPB's Taiyo Whales and Kintetsu Buffaloes, is doing a mail-order autograph signing. If you would like to send in an item to be signed or order one to be signed for you, please contact Nick Hadi at [email protected] and tell Nick that JapanBall sent you.

Note - the flyer above says items are due October 1, but that date has been pushed back until approximately the first week of November. Contact Nick for more details, and you're welcome to reply to this email to ask me any questions.

Until next time,

Shane Barclay

(646) 391-3130

[email protected]