A BASEBALL GAIJIN Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back

A native speaker of Japanese is essential for this audiobook, which takes the listener inside the world of Nippon Professional Baseball. Tokyo-born Brian Nishii is an ideal choice, not only for his handling of the Japanese names, but also for his seeming familiarity with baseball terminology. The gaijin (foreigner) in the title is Tony Barnette, an American Minor League pitcher who headed to Japan in 2010 and spent six seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, dreaming of eventually making it to the Major League in the U.S. Occasionally, Nishii's dialogue is not convincing, but his narrative is well paced. Baseball fans will enjoy following Barnette's struggles and triumphs on and off the mound. D.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]