Taking in a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia (Jerry Malloy Prize) [Paperback]

Joseph A. Reaves (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004 | Series: Jerry Malloy Prize

In Taking in a Game, Joseph A. Reaves examines the development of baseball in Korea, the Philippines, Mainland China, and Taiwan, as well as the more widely known story of baseball in Japan. In this entertaining and informed account, Reaves covers everything from baseball in Qing Dynasty China in the nineteenth century to the 2000 Sydney Olympics bronze-medal match between Japan and Korea. Reaves guides the reader through a history of Asian baseball, the cultures that surround it, and the future of what has become a great Asian game.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book presents a brief but somewhat encyclopedic examination of baseball in Asia, with a particular focus on China, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and Taiwan. One riveting tale involves right-hander Eiju Sawamura, who pitched against Babe Ruth and a band of visiting American all-stars in Japan in 1934. While in the United States the following year, Sawamura avoided inking a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. "My problem," Sawamura said, "is I hate America and I cannot make myself like Americans." Sawamura died during the Battle of the Ryukus. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Joseph Reaves''s Taking in a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia expands our knowledge of Asian baseball beyond Japan, about which much has been written, to countries such as Korea, China, Taiwan and the Philippines. Reaves, an American journalist who has reported from Asia for many years, discovers baseball being played in many unlikely places, such as in the Communist stronghold of Yenan during the Sino-Japanese War of the 1930s."—Sacramento Bee

(Sacramento Bee )

"Joseph A. Reaves explores an aspect of the sport that is literally foreign to most fans. This book expands its scope well beyond the dominating influence of Japan to include the reach of baseball in Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and even China. . . . This study explaining the differences between Far Eastern ball and our own game arrives at an auspicious moment when more Pacific Rim players than ever are impacting the way baseball is played in the USA."—USA Today Baseball Weekly

(USA Today Baseball Weekly )

"American soldiers were baseball''s Johnny Appleseeds, but Reaves shows that the Japanese tended the orchard of the game in Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan. . . . Reaves makes the case that before World War II, baseball for the Japanese was often about competing with the United States. After the war, the game helped bring the two countries together."—The Washington Post

(The Washington Post )

"This book presents a brief but somewhat encyclopedic examination of baseball in Asia, with a particular focus on China, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and Taiwan. One riveting tales involves right-hander Eiju Sawamura, who pitched against Babe Ruth and a visiting American all-stars in Japan in 1934."—Library Journal

(Library Journal )

"An important, groundbreaking work of research. Highly readable, yet thoroughly documented. No one else has put together this much information on baseball in Asia in one volume. It will be the sourcebook on the subject for years to come. Hats off to author Reaves for a much needed, unique contribution to the literature of the game."—Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa

(Robert Whiting )

"This book will be the definitive book on Asian baseball and how Japan has taken America''s game and made it their own. . . . This is a rare book—one that is interesting, readable and also breaks a lot of new ground and enlightens a whole new audience to a game that we know and love yet is totally foreign to us."—Jonathan Leshanksi, Athomeplate.com

(Jonathan Leshanksi Athomeplate.com )

“Taking in a Game is an essential history that provides context as the so-called ‘American game’ continues to evolve into a worldwide phenomenon.”—Michael Wilt, Korean Quarterly

(Michael Wilt Korean Quarterly )

"A former Chicago Tribune sports writer, Reaves transformed his thesis project at the University of Hong Kong into this award-winning commentary. . . . Reaves''s well-referenced treatment of the game is highly recommended for students majoring in sports studies or the history of sport, and for readers who just have a passion for the game."—Choice

(Choice )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803290012
• ISBN-13: 978-0803290013
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #926,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Whiting was right about this one, February 17, 2003

By 

"jar3" (Lompoc, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking in a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia (Jerry Malloy Prize) (Hardcover)

Robert Whtiing, the author of two classic books on Japanese baseball, writes on the cover blurb that Reaves' book is "an important, groundbreaking work of reserach. It will be the sourcebookon the subject for years to come."

I couldn't agree more. This is an awesome book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Even I Can Get It, June 4, 2002

By 

Kate Van Boven (Scottsdale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking in a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia (Jerry Malloy Prize) (Hardcover)

I do not have a wonderous,nor knowledgeable background about baseball. But I am learning the sport and I am visiting foreign lands,...This book is very fascinating for me.

...With their closer pitcher, Kim, coming to Arizona from Korea, I became interested in learning how other countries reacted to baseball. This book was very easy reading and I didn't feel left out because of my meager background in baseball.

Any one who wants to learn more about other cultures needs to read this book because sports is very much a part of culture and baseball, the all American sport, is no longer just that.

Thanks for a great, entertaining, yet highly factual and informative book!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I have a lot to say on the part of Taiwan, December 18, 2002

By 

"chunweiyu" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking in a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia (Jerry Malloy Prize) (Hardcover)

I am a Taiwanese PhD student doing research on Taiwanese amateur baseball in Warwick University, England. I have just received the book yesterday. It is very informative, but the part on Taiwan there are a lot of misconceptions by the author and misinformation provided by Taiwanese authority, who is trying to cover up the dark side of Taiwanese amateur baseball. For instance, Hungyeh played the 'World Champion' Wakayama little leaguers. Acutally they were not the 1967 'world champion' squad that most people believed they were (p141). The Taichung Golden Dragons was no way near Taitung Hungyeh, you have to cross a big mountain to reach Taitung from Taichung. Those two counties were not even connected. Moreover, Golden Dragons only contained two aborigine players. (p142) From the outset the Taiwanese LLB squads has been plagued by irregularities that violated LLB rules every year. Obviously one reporter of New York Times tried to defend Taiwan's wrongdoing by claiming 'Taiwan authorities has the stricest household registrations'. This is not true. From my research, government always turned a blind eye to under-the-table recruitment and even gave a helping hand through which schools could easily lure players from other counties. LLB officials could not discover the wrongdoings because they were not in Taiwan, nor could they speak or understand Mandarin Chinese. (p144-145) Tan Shin-ming was firstly signed by a Japanese professional team and went to SF Giants on an exchange player scheme. (p147) On the same page, the decline of Taiwanese amateur baseball is not the result of charges of cheating from the US. I will argue because of the sedentary culture of Chinese Confucianism, it prompted parents not to send their kids to take up exercise, not only in baseball, but other kinds of sport. On page 150, Sadaharu Oh is not a Taiwanese-born player, actually he was born in Japan and can not speak a word of Mandarin. The only connection with Taiwan is he is still holding a passport of Republic of China, because his Mainland Chinese father was a Chinese and hoped his son could continue holding Chinese passport.

As stated above, I am writing a thesis about Taiwanese amateur baseball under which many appalling conditions occurred, including over-training, fabrication scandals, vicious under-the-table recruitment, lack of education, just to name a few, all of which will subvert the beautifil images held by common people. Some Taiwanese people already accused me of unethical because you do not turn back on your country. But my intention is to expose the dark sides of Taiwanese amateur baseball and let people know it is not right to train and use student players in this way....