A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back

Synopsis

Like many American boys, Tony Barnette yearned to one day make it to &“The Show,&” playing baseball professionally. The Arizona State pitcher was drafted in 2006 by the in-state Diamondbacks. Gradually ascending the minor-league ladder, it looked like this was the beginning of a blessed life, where he could play the game he loved on the grandest of stages in front of family and friends. But things don&’t always work out the way we want. On the verge of achieving his lifelong dream after notching a league-high 14 wins in Triple A, Tony looked ahead to 2010 with optimism. That&’s when Japan came calling, offering a significant salary hike in exchange for forgoing a likely forthcoming big-league debut. The Diamondbacks agreed to release Tony so he could play for Tokyo&’s Yakult Swallows, the renowned Yomiuri Giants&’ intra-city rivals. At the time, the only thing he had in common with the country was a love for baseball. He did not know the language and was unfamiliar with Nippon Professional Baseball and essentially everything else. On his own in a strange land, the burning desire to one day make the major leagues never subsided. He knew the odds were against him, as less than one quarter of gaijin (Japanese for &“foreigner&”) ballplayers who go to Japan appear in the majors at any point thereafter. First-year struggles led to multiple demotions and his end-of-year release. But when you&’re chasing a dream, you expect to encounter several obstacles. Tony refused to be deterred. Over six seasons in Japan, the starter became a reliever and then a closer. After a strong 2015 season, in which he guided his long-suffering Swallows to the Japan Series, he finally got the call he had been waiting for. Signing with the Texas Rangers in December, Tony would make his first major-league appearance on April 5, 2016, at age thirty-two. He&’d go on to pitch four seasons with the Rangers and Chicago Cubs, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Through extensive research and reporting, Aaron Fischman worked directly with Tony to tell his story of perseverance, determination, and never giving up on your dream.

Copyright:

2024

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

264 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781683584780

Publisher:

Sports Publishing

Date of Addition:

06/18/24

Copyrighted By:

Aaron Fischman

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Nonfiction, Sports, Biographies and Memoirs

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.

Foreword by:

Don Nomura