Read the original post: American Pastime
• UPDATE •
September 26, 2008 — Exciting news for yours truly chimed into my email inbox this morning. ‘American Pastime‘ is scheduled to be broadcast this evening on ESPN Classic Films. Many thanks to Kerry Yo Nakagawa for sending the following press release information. Bye for now!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kerry Yo Nakagawa
September 19, 2008 559-824-3210
nbrp@comcast.net
ESPN CLASSIC TO AIR BASEBALL FILM “AMERICAN PASTIME”
Award-winning movie details baseball in WWII Japanese American Internment Camps
FRESNO, Calif., (September 19, 2008) – In partnership with ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, the Nisei Baseball Research Project (NBRP) is pleased to announce that ESPN Classic Films will debut the award-winning film “American Pastime” on Friday, September 26 at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific.
Released by Warner Brothers Films in 2007, “American Pastime” is a powerful story about the dramatic impact WWII had in the home-front as Japanese American families were uprooted from their every day lives and placed into internment camps in Western US in the early to mid-1940s.
Faced with a country that now doubted their loyalty and struggling with their new situation, they turn to baseball as a way to handle their plight and find the strength to stand up for themselves becoming a true symbol of honor and pride.
The movie was written and directed by Desmond Nakano (White Man’s Burden) and the cast includes such notables as Gary Cole (Talledega Nights, Dodgeball), Aaron Yoo (Disturbia, The Wackness), Masatoshi Nakamura and Judie Ongg (renowned actors/singers in Japan) and Jon Gries (Naploeon Dynamite). Also making a cameo role is former major leaguer and host of ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, John Kruk.
NBRP founder, Kerry Yo Nakagawa, served as associate producer of the film and also played a ballplayer on the internment camp baseball team with his son Kale.
Despite the serious subject matter of war-time incarceration, fans and critics describe “American Pastime” as “funny, sad, and even romantic” and ultimately as “life-affirming, spiritually-uplifting and entertaining.” Fans of inspirational sports movies, historical fiction, and even comedies will enjoy watching “American Pastime.”
Entertaining and Educational
The film is also used by history and social studies teachers in classrooms across the nation. A teacher’s guide for ‘American Pastime’ is now being implemented with many school districts around the country becoming educated on Japanese American internment through the prism of baseball. While everyone is encouraged to learn about this important chapter in U.S. history, the film will be of special interest to those in the states where the ten internment camps were housed. In 1942 the U.S. Government sent approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, the majority of them U.S. citizens, to camps in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. This year, 2008, marks the 66th anniversary that Japanese Americans first played baseball behind barbed wire.
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The Fact Behind the Fiction
The main character of the film, Kaz Nomura, is loosely based on the real-life Kenichi Zenimura, the Japanese American baseball pioneer who competed on the same diamonds with Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Biz Mackey and Andy Cooper of the Negro Leagues during the 1920s and 30s.
As an international baseball ambassador during this same period, Zenimura was also instrumental in exporting the American pastime to Japan as well. The fruits of his baseball-ambassador efforts are now reflected in the major league presence of Japanese players like Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners, Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Red Sox, and Kosuke Fukudome of the Cubs, just to name a few.
For more information about ESPN Classic Films, visit www.espn.com. For more information about Japanese American baseball history, visit: www.niseibaseball.com or email: nbrp@comcast.net.
About the Nisei Baseball Research Project
The Nisei Baseball Research Project (NBRP) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded in 1996 by Kerry Yo Nakagawa to preserve the history of Japanese American Baseball. In Cooperstown they have a saying that Baseball is a game of Dreams and Memories. It is for both those reasons that the NBRP was developed. The ultimate goal of the NBRP is the permanent inclusion of Japanese Americans in Baseball into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown and continue to educate about internment baseball during WWII.
About “American Pastime”
The American Pastime screenplay is by Desmond Nakano & Tony Kayden. Barry Rosenbush, who executive produced the 6-time Emmy-nominated hit “High School Musical,” produced along with Tom Gorai and Terry Spazek. David Skinner and Arata Matsushima are executive producers and Kerry Yo Nakagawa, associate producer. American Pastime is a Warner Home Video presentation of a T & C Pictures, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Rosy Bushes production of a Desmond Nakano film.
September 26th, 2008
Read Part 1
September 15, 2008 — Now that the congratulations have been taken care of, it’s time to offer some thanks as well.
First and foremost, I’d like to thank all of you out there who took the time to stop by for what I hope has been some entertaining reading. I am particularly grateful to those readers who went to the extra trouble of posting a comment. Your input often leads to an inspiration for later posts, or new perspectives on the ones already up. Thank you again!
Rich Barker broke his own rule about ignoring these d*mn bloggers to post some insightful comments about our PCL Pitcher of the Year.
Lisa Winston threw caution to the wind by publically endorsing TSJ in her blog and adding it to her blogroll. Girlfriend, we HAVE to meet up during Arizona Fall League.
Jonathan Mayo, for putting his heart and soul into raising public awareness, as well as $$$, for victims of the Iowa Floods of 2008, including the Cedar Rapids Kernels staff, boosters and host families. You da’ man JonB3!
Chris Rosenbaum put in a really nice plug for TSJ at his blog on September 04. In fact, his post reminded me I needed to do the same. Hey Rosey, can’t wait to see you in a Bees uniform!
Dirk Hayhurst resisted deleting my snarky comments at his very popular blog, and even went so far as to plug TSJ, whereupon site visits immediately quintupled from like 5 to 25.
Rich Burk, Portland Beavers broadcaster, was incredibly supportive of my blogging efforts. Guess I’ll have to make plans for a trip to PGE Park someday, just so I can see for myself what Burkie “is really like.”
John Wolff, former minor-league infielder and owner of eFieldHouse. On a lark I sent him an email inquiring about his site, and WTF?. . .he emailed back! No doubt it’s been downhill for his inbox ever since.
Aaron Wells, Matt Gittins, Jason Taylor of the Orem Owlz always welcomed me to their home yard, always with a smile.
Extra-special thanks to Brenton Del Chiaro for letting me pester him long enough to get an interview for eFieldHouse. [Plus my eternal gratitude to the baseball gods, who allowed me to catch up with the Owlz Hitting-Coach-Come-Manager before the news media started their en masse assault on his Caller ID!]
Another warm thanks to Owlz Pitching Coach Zeke Zimmerman (who will never read this online, so someone go tell him for me) for introducing Tako-sensei and for, . . .well, just being Zeke.
Stephen C. Smith, an invaluable source for Angels’ information and photos. Inspiring, honest and a cherished friend (despite his efforts get me to leave the Triple-A team).
Rick Dykhuizen and Linda Giger, Franklin Covey Irregulars and amateur photogs who helped boost the glam factor of this site by graciously allowing me to post their work for all of you to enjoy.
Dave “Netman” Pratt. Thanks for reminding me that every day spent at the ballpark is a GOOD DAY. More importantly, for teaching us that game balls are far too precious to be kept as mere souvenirs; they were meant to be given away, like love. Dude, when I get to that place, we are going to get in some BP!
Marc Amicone, Brad Tammen, Linda Luchetti, Hannah Lee, Tony Parks, Brian Prutch, Larry, LaRue, Paul, Erin, Joe, Mort, Kevin, Jose, Vern, Katie & the Honeybees and EVERYONE in the Salt Lake Bees front office. You all know how I feel about you already; this is just a shout-out to ensure the rest of the whole d*mn world knows too.
Ryan & Company. Without you guys, there’d be no ballgames at all; the playing field never looked better!
Bumble, for running/jumping/climbing/clapping/riding around in that hot, stuffy suit until his knees (literally) wore out! You’ll always be da’ Bee for me!
Salt Lake Bees team photographer Brent Asay is in a class by himself. I’ve said it already, but it deserves an encore. No one shoots action like Brent!
Steve Klauke, Mr. 2000, what can I say? We’ve been through a lot of seasons together. How about, I’m just not completely present at the ballpark without my radio on and tuned to KJQS 1230 AM?
Bobby Mitchell and this season’s coaching, conditioning and training staff. Welcome to the ballclub fellas! Nice job taking care of this bunch of hard-driving, high-octane, boys-learning-to-be-men. A special thanks to Mitch for a splendid job of media relations, best I’ve seen in years.
Jim Eppard, my favorite coach, for helping #8 get his swing straightened out and #25 produce new career stats in almost every category. Oh, and for making me look like a rock star by lobbing a few soft tosses my way.
To all the ballplayers who spent time this summer in a Salt Lake Bees uniform. Early in the season, our PCL PioY (time marker 07:40) described noticing something special about this group of guys. That thought kept coming back over and over again during the course of the season. I’ve watched a lot of ballplayers come and go over these many summers. And there was definitely something about this team that went beyond BA, RBI, ERA and SO. Best of luck to you in baseball, and everything else.
Saving the best for last. . .my ballpark-bud Jackson was always on top of the game—reminding me who was in the box/on deck/in the hole, what happened their last at-bat, how to turn a triple-play, which ballplayers we liked (Bees) or disliked (other guys), and most importantly of all, why I love this game. Thanks so much for the present! (Dad tells me you spent a ton of time on it.) Hopefully you’ll get to watch your two favorite Bees-now-Halos ballplayers on TV, all the way into Halloween!
SPACER TEXT
Well, . . .only 199 days until the Opening Day 2009. Bye for now!
September 15th, 2008
Read the original post: Putting It Out There.
• UPDATE •
September 07, 2008 — As much as I personally prefer the minor-league game, I rarely lose sight of the ultimate goal for every minor leaguer. And I’m happy for the ballplayers who—through hard work, perseverance, and more than a little good fortune—manage to escape the bushes and make it into The Show.
In the case of Dirk Hayhurst, I gotta tell you all, . . .I am absolutely thrilled!
Although the Padres management certainly noticed his performance with the Triple-A Portland Beavers this season, it was a surprise for many when he got the start against the San Francisco Giants on August 23, with another start against the Colorado Rockies on August 29th.
So how’s my favorite ballplayer/blogger doing ? Let me begin by pointing out the San Diego Padres called him up prior to the September 01 roster expansion and dedicated a roster spot for him. This is a considerably more secure position than being an interim fill-in for a player on the DL. Cool!
Albeit, his two starts weren’t exactly stellar. In his MLB debut, August 23, he threw 76 pitches over 4 IP with 3 ER, 2 BB and 2 SO. On August 29, he tallied 101 pitches over 4 IP with 4 ER, 4 BB and 4 SO in 4 IP. Ouch. By his own admission, the 6′3″ 210 lb righthander’s problem was getting too fussy about pitch location. The pitch-by-pitch diagrams certainly confirm he didn’t do such a good job of claiming the strike zone and going after the hitters. Here are the at-bats for the first three batters he faced in the third inning on August 29:
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Clint Barmes
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Willy Tavares
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Matt Holliday
Compare these to his minor-league start in late May and the difference is readily apparent. That said, any expectations beyond his making it through four innings alive would have been pretty unrealistic. After all, Hayhurst has been limited to pitching long relief for virtually all of his professional career.
So, how significant were these two starts in terms of #57’s big-league future? I should start with the disclaimer of my own bias, which is I tend to consider athletic progress/results from the perspective of the long-term development. In other words, 2 GS/8.1 IP doesn’t mean much, except perhaps as an early snapshot of an MLB learning curve.
To illustrate what I mean, let’s look at the debut of a couple of Hayhurst’s Triple-A teammates. Wade LeBlanc (2006 draft, 2nd round, 61st overall pick) wasn’t so impressive in his first MLB start, throwing 100 pitches over 4 IP and ending up with 5 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 1 SO. Josh Geer (2005 draft, 3rd round, 98th overall pick) fared better in his two appearances. Still, he threw a lot of pitches, over 100 per 5 IP and needs to keep an eye on his walks-to-strikeouts ratio (6 BB/7 SO).
With the activation of Chris Young from the DL, Hayhurst was moved to the bullpen. It’s just plain silly to extrapolate/project too much out of 0.1 IP in one relief appearance, September 02. So I won’t even try.
As always, it is this blogger’s sworn duty to note those accomplishments that don’t get nearly as much attention, not that they’re less important. Most of the media coverage has focused on his thought-provoking journals and more recently, his triumph-of-the-underdog success. Pretty much overlooked is perhaps Hayhurst’s most significant accomplishment of all—fulfilling the added responsibilities that necessarily come with being a celebrity sports figure. And this is why I’m so stoked on the “likable righthander” from Canton, OH.
Hayhurst works out with Special Olympians, proving the heart of an athlete cannot be measured by the size of their paycheck.
Hayhurst has blogged more than once about his discomfort over being designated a role model for reasons that have more to do with the uniform he wears than the person inside it. At the same time, his actions speak volumes about his coming to terms with the unasked-for (and sometimes unrealistic) expectations that accompany the label of “sports hero.”
With his usual grace and good humor, Hayhurst applies the same professionalism to his PR duties as he does to his pitching mechanics and conditioning sets. 
Right before his call-up, Hayhurst won the Portland Beavers Community Service Award for all of his work off the field. As a major leaguer, he’s handled the spotlight well, readily answering questions from the press and giving them the kinds of quotes that make the story a breeze (not to mention a pleasure) to write.
And this brings me to the most impressive decision of all. Without fanfare, Hayhurst acknowledged his new status within the Padres organization by immediately ending his blogging. His hard work has paid off, management has rewarded him, and the stakes have been raised. No longer a Minor League Nobody flying under the radar of public scrutiny, the Major Leaguer understands his #1 job priority is to shut up, . . .and pitch.
Wow. Talk about being a winner.
It takes a lot of maturity to understand the appropriate time and place for having your say. Hayhurst has always claimed he doesn’t deserve any special accolades. Well, I think the rest of us know better. Bye for now!
September 7th, 2008
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