In Japanese baseball, it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you look like.
Known as yakyū, the game is more than a sport. From neighborhood Little Leagues to packed professional stadiums, routines, drills and shared passion create a language all players understand.
Everett Hopkin grew up in America but learned the ropes of Japanese youth baseball. Taku Meyer, a German native, moved to Japan to compete in the high school leagues. Sanfo Lassina came from West Africa and now plays in an independent league.