The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced a new exhibit, “Yakyu/Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game between Japan and the United States,” that is scheduled to open in July 2025 and will include artifacts from Hideo Nomo and Shohei Ohtani.
Due to be on display are the baseball from Nomo’s no-hitter at Coors Field and an Ohtani Dodgers jersey that was worn during the team’s first homestand of the 2024 season. Along with those items, the exhibit is going to feature a Masanori Murakami glove, Hideki Matsui New York Yankees jersey and Ohtani’s Team Japan cap from the 2023 World Baseball Classic, among other artifacts.
The exhibit aims to highlight the strong history between Japan and Major League Baseball. Murakami was the first Japanese player in MLB history, when he debuted in 1964. The country wasn’t represented again until Nomo’s first game with the Dodgers on May 2, 1995.
“For more than 150 years, baseball has been at the heart of the national culture in both the United States and Japan, with America’s National Pastime quickly becoming Japan’s national sport,” National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum president Josh Rawitch said in a statement.
Earlier today in Tokyo, the Hall of Fame announced its new exhibit Yakyu/Baseball alongside pioneering Japanese pitcher Masanori Murakami, Japan Central League star Warren Cromartie and @USAmbJapan Rahm Emanuel. pic.twitter.com/coss5jbZJ6
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) April 19, 2024
“This exhibit will explore the transpacific exchange of baseball, including players, styles of play, equipment and the fan experience. The stories we will tell will range from the challenge of the pioneer players on both sides of the Pacific to the achievements of today’s stars and the many celebrated tours of baseball teams in both countries.
“We hope fans from all over the world, including Japan, have a chance to enjoy this exhibit.”
Ichiro Suzuki, Matsui, Takashi Saito, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga are among Japanese natives to have also reached the Majors.
“I have great memories of watching the likes of Yu Darvish and Tsuyoshi Wada playing for my beloved Cubs at Wrigley Field,” United States Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said.
“Japanese players have contributed so much to our shared national pastime over the decades, and this exhibition highlights yet another aspect of our two countries’ deep-rooted friendship that has given joy to millions.”
Baseball Hall of Fame 2025
The Yakyu exhibit opening next year is going to be located on the third floor of the Museum and cover more than 1,800 square feet.
It will coincide with with Ichiro being eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time. He’s expected to be a first-ballot selection.
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