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1935 Wire Photo of Babe Ruth and Matsutaro Shoriki, Father of Japanese Pro Baseball.
Lot 264. 1935 Wire Photo of Babe Ruth and Matsutaro Shoriki, Father of Japanese Pro Baseball. In the fall of 1934, Shoriki sponsored a visit to Japan of Ruth and other American baseball players. At least 200,000 Japanese watched four exhibition games. For his efforts, Shoriki was stabbed by a radical nationalist, who believed that the exhibition games drained money from Japan while the nation experienced an economic depression. An original 6.5” x 8.5” International News photo shows Ruth with Shoriki at the left and Joseph Clark Grew, U.S. ambassador to Japan; Connie Mack and a Japanese baseball fan. Shoriki recovered and formed the Yomiuri Giants. After World War II, he became the first commissioner of the Japanese Professional Baseball League. Since 1977, Japan has presented the Matsutaro Shoriki Award to the player or manager who made a significant contribution to the development of Japanese baseball. Sadaharu Oh was the first recipient and has received the award four times. Bobby Valentine is the only American recipient. The photo is ex+. The caption is included.
Winning Bid $83.
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