Crossing Divides Across the Field
by Brad J. Reid, special contributor

Who was the first African American baseball player in the Major Leagues?

Think you know? Try again.

Before there was a Jackie Robinson, there was Moses Fleetwood Walker. Moses Walker, who can be found in baseball encyclopedias under the name 'Fleet Walker', played catcher in 1884 for the Toledo Blue Stockings of the American Association. Despite constant racist attempts to drive him out - An Irish pitcher, Tony Mullane, ignored Walker's signals because he wouldn't take orders from a black man - Walker's exit from the majors came due to a hand injury. He spent the rest of his career in the minors, and it would be Robinson who would be credited as being the first black baseball player - 63 years later.

In truth we know of Walker today only because of Jackie Robinson's pioneering. Robinson did more than just play the game, he dusted the racism off home plate and paved the way for baseball's integration.

The Tornado Cometh
The tornado came in May of 1995, and America was blown away by it.

Hideo Nomo, star pitcher of the Japanese Baseball Leagues, crossed the Pacific at the age of 26, and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Tornado" for his unusual windup-in which he raises his front leg, keeps his back facing the batter, and turns his head away resulting in a twisting motion-he took American baseball by storm, winning Rookie of The Year honors.

It was 'Nomo-mania', a revolution, and an opening for Asian players everywhere. Much like the misconception many people hold that Jackie Robinson was the first black major leaguer, Hideo Nomo is widely considered the first Japanese major leaguer, when in fact he is not. Masanori Murakami crossed the Pacific Ocean in 1964, only 20 years old. His Japanese baseball team, the Nankai Hawks, sent the young left handed relief pitcher and two others 5,500 miles to gain experience in the American minor leagues. Eleven wins and seven losses later, with farm teams in Fresno and Magic Valley, Masanori was promoted to the San Francisco Giants.

Murakami debuted in September of his first year against the last-place New York Mets. Before 50,000 fans at Shea Stadium, the lefty pitched one inning of shutout relief. He finished the year with a 1.80 E.R.A. (Earned Run Average), and averaged a strikeout an inning.

"About the same time Toyota began importing cars to the USA," Baseball Weekly writer Seth Livingstone wrote in an April 2000 article. "Masanori Murakami became the first native-born Japanese player to play in the majors. Corona Sedans became a near-instant hit. Japanese ballplayers did not."

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