Bookshelf Review: A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back

A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back, by Aaron Fischman. Foreword by Don Nomura. Sports Publishing, 2024.

Every pitcher has a story, don’t he?

Tony Barnette was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 10th round of the 2006 draft. After four years of moderate success in the minors, he made the bold choice of signing with the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Pacific Coast League. Aaron Fischman, a Los Angeles-based journalist, tells the tale of an athlete devoted to his craft, trying to find a place in pro ball, wherever that might take him.

Don Nomura, who served as Barnette’s agent, frankly admits that his client’s “baseball achievements are not unprecedented.” Nevertheless, Fischman finds a way to fill a whole book with the trials and adventures of playing in a strange land.

The early chapters are the best, as the reader learns how Barnette and his then-wife learned to navigate life in Japan, unfamiliar with the language and culture. Fortunately, they enjoyed a measure of consistency as he was able to remain with the Swallows for six seasons, giving them plenty of opportunity to acclimate and inculcate. He had lots of gaijin company; other players from the United States and around the world have found their way to become stars in the Japanese pro ranks.

Like many — if not most — pitchers, Barnette had his share of physical setbacks but he never gave up on his dream, which eventually brought him back to the States for a contract with the Texas Rangers in 2016. His stats were impressive: 7-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 53 games in his “rookie” season and 11-4 over his brief four-season career in the Majors, the last of which was spent with the Chicago Cubs in 2019 when injuries made it impossible to continue.

A Baseball Gaijin is ultimately  a feel good story but it’s not without problems in the telling. Fischman spends a good deal of space on minute details that don’t always include his subject. He uses copious footnotes in non-traditional ways (i.e., to explain items that don’t always need explaining and not for the traditional citation purposes). Some of the narrative gets a bit repetitive as well.

But if I were Tony Barnette, I would love this story as a legacy and inspiration.