Sadly my grandfathers submarine killed Sawamura during World War 2. - On November 20, 1934, the 17-year-old Sawamura faced a team of visiting all-star players from Major League Baseball, including Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, and Charlie Gehringer. Entering the game in the fourth inning, the high school pitcher struck out nine batters and held the Americans to a single run over five innings pitched; a home run by Gehrig in the seventh saddled Sawamura with the loss. However, he did manage to strike out Gehringer, Ruth, Gehrig, and Foxx in succession. Connie Mack, who was managing the American team, was so impressed by Sawamura's performance that he tried to sign him to a Major League contract; Sawamura refused to go, citing a reluctance to leave home. In 1943, Sawamura was drafted in the Japanese Imperial Army. He was killed in battle near Yakushima when his ship was torpedoed by USS Sea Devil near the end of World War II.
Wow, such incredible footage. It is even in good shape and decently shot. What a find. It's an awesome picture of a small time before WW2, where Japan changed so much. I love seeing newly discovered film like this. It really takes you to that time and place.
Nice story and footage here. I heard before the tour started that Connie Mack wanted to retire and convince none other than the Babe himself to take over the helm of the Philadelphia A’s. But Mack changed his mind when he saw how much control Ruth’s wife had on the Babe while on the boat ride over to Japan. Mack apparently confided to someone that the Babe was so manipulated he was concerned his wife might end up running the A’s!!
The fourth player standing from left is my uncle, Eric McNair. I think everyone can spot the "Babe." The first player standing from right is Lou Gehrig.
In The Terror Infamy a shot down Japanese pilot the lead hero interrogates was a former Baseball player that play against Lou in that tour, not sure if it was really real history or added to the series.
Moe Berg was taught by state department to use a camera, because there was hardly any photos of Japan. We used his pics to get targets and landmarks to bomb.
You guys say at 2:22 that Babe and the boys were well-behaved eh? Go to the 19-minute mark ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5GkZRw21kho.html
Behave? Babe Ruth grabbed Japanese women and well... look up the documentary on Babe Ruth created by HBO or ESPN and on that documentary there's an old man I forget the old man name but he tells you exactly what Babe did with those Japanese women.