The first American baseball player in Japan was the first Japanese football player in America.
June 24, 1925: Wally Kaname Yonamine was born in Maui, Hawai’i.
At a time when barriers for Asian Americans were as high as they were unspoken, Yonamine didn’t just climb over them. He bulldozed through them — with speed, strength, and relentless drive.
In 1947, just two years after World War II, Yonamine became the first Japanese American to play professional football in the U.S., suiting up as a halfback for the San Francisco 49ers. The war may have ended, but anti-Japanese hatred hadn’t.
When he was tackled, opponents would pile on with punches and kicks. He got back up. Again and again. Until a broken wrist cut his football career short.
But Yonamine wasn’t done making history.
In 1951, he became the first American to play professional baseball in Japan, joining the Yomiuri Giants. His hard-charging, football-style base running stunned traditional Japanese players and fans. He stole bases, slid hard, and refused to play with deference.
Some fans yelled, “Yankee go home!”
But he kept running. And then he started winning, and setting records. Over 12 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Yonamine became one of the league’s biggest stars. He consistently ranked among the top hitters, won batting titles, and was a menace on the basepaths with his signature aggressive style.
After his playing career, he became the first foreign manager to win the Japan Series, leading the Chunichi Dragons to their first championship. And in 1994, he was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame — the first American ever to receive the honor.
Wally Yonamine wasn’t just a record-setter. He was a cultural bridge — at a time when the scars of war still lingered. He earned respect from fans on both sides of the Pacific and opened the door for generations of Japanese and Japanese American athletes to follow.
Wally Kaname Yonamine — he was the first to do so much. And always one of the greatest.
Wally Kaname Yonamine loved being the first.
- First Japanese American to play professional football in the U.S.
- First American to play professional baseball in Japan.
- First player to win the Central League batting title two years in a row in Japan.
- First foreign player to win MVP in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
- Holds the all-time record for most seasons leading in steals of home.
- Holds the all-time record for most steals of home in a single season.
- Holds the all-time record for most steals of home in a single game.
- Tied record for most stolen bases in a single inning.
- First foreign manager to win the Japan Series.
- First American inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.