Rob Fitts knows how to stay busy, even during the coronavirus pandemic. Fitts, who has written five books about Japanese baseball, was in the middle of promoting his latest effort, Issei Baseball: The Story of the First Japanese American Baseball Ballplayers, when the pandemic hit. That forced Fitts to cancel his book tour. Fitts only recently ventured out of his Bronx … [Read more...]
A Rich Trove of Ichiro Cards Exists In Japanese Sets
Ichiro Suzuki entered an exclusive club when he slashed a triple Sunday for his 3,000th career major-league hit. Naturally, the demand for Ichiro rookie cards in the United States spiked as a result of his hitting milestone. But the more discriminating collector can have a field day tracking down cards of Ichiro when he played for the Orix BlueWave in Japan’s Pacific … [Read more...]
Potato Chips and Baseball Cards a Long Running Hit in Japan
It's hard to find a North American equivalent of CalBee. The Japanese snack maker wrapped its arms around baseball cards almost 40 years ago--and they're still inserting them into packs. Topps may have been around longer, but as a 'food issue', they stand alone. CalBee's "Professional Baseball Chips" sets have been a favorite of those who collect Japanese baseball … [Read more...]