• January 22, 2012

I will hold my first signing of Banzai Babe Ruth at the SABR NYC meeting on 1/28/12 at the NY Public Library.  More info on my Events page.

• January 12, 2012

The first copies of Banzai Babe Ruth arrived.

They are now available on Ebay

• November 14, 2011

Banzai Babe Ruth is now available for pre-ordering on Amazon.

Please show your support by ordering HERE

• September 20, 2011

I am very pleased to have joined the writers at the web site www.Seamheads.com

My first article Wally Yonamine and the Integration of Japanese Baseball, tells how a young man who grew up on the plantations of Hawaii became both the first Japanese-American to play professional football for a NFL franchise and became the first American to play baseball in Japan after World War 2.

• On March 7-10, 2012

I will be the keynote speaker at the NINE Spring Training Conference on the Historical and Sociological Impact of Baseball held in Tempe, AZ.  For more information, please see the Events Page.

Have a Question?

If it's of general interest, please post it on my blog

http://blog.robfitts.com

If it's personal, please email me at

asianbaseball@mindspring.com

Banzai Babe Ruth 

NOW AVAILABLE

University of Nebraska Press

 
Banzai Babe Ruth is the story of the doomed attempt to reconcile the United States and Japan though the tour of Major League all stars in 1934 and the efforts of fanatical ultranationalists to drive the nations apart.  The story contains international diplomacy, espionage, attempted murder and, of course, baseball.

Learn more about Banzai Babe Ruth

Wally Yonamine:

The Man who Changed Japanese Baseball

University of Nebraska 2008

"Fitts creates a book in which the life of Wally Yonamine almost jumps off the page.  Expertly researched and crafted book. This is a must-read and a must-add to the bookshelf for those with an interest in the history of Japanese baseball, and a worthwhile read for any baseball fan looking to broaden their knowledge of this great game that has spread around the globe." -BaseballBookReview.com

Learn more at  Wally Yonamine .com

Remembering Japanese Baseball:

An Oral History of the Game

Southern Illinois University Press, 2005

 Winner 2005 Society of American Baseball Research & The Sporting News Award for Best Baseball Research

Remembering Japanese Baseball: An Oral History of the Game is the first oral history of baseball in Japan published in English. Written in the style of Glory of Their Times, Remembering Japanese Baseball features the narratives of 25 men who played in Japan from 1948 to 1996. Through their stories, readers will understand the history of Japanese ball and see how the game changed over time.

Learn more about Remembering Japanese Baseball