Honoring Legacy Through Baseball: A Historic Game at Manzanar

Playing baseball at Manzanar during Japanese American incarceration (circa 1940s) Courtesy of: Marty Sakata

The Inspiration to Play Ball at Manzanar

Dan Kwong, a 69-year-old artist in Los Angeles and a long time Lil Tokyo Giants Nisei baseball player, had a dream to someday play baseball at the Manzanar Internment Camp. He started this vision of resurrecting the Manzanar baseball fields over two years ago.  Through hard work and determination, Dan’s dream came to fruition on Saturday, October 26, 2024. Players from the Northern and Southern California Nisei baseball leagues made the trek to the California desert to play in two legendary baseball games. Unfortunately, due to the lack of Manzanar Park staff, spectators were limited to witnessing this unforgettable event.

The opportunity to play baseball at Manzanar was very personal to Dan since his mother played Softball while interned at Manzanar during World War II. He was determined to make this dream a reality and worked closely with the Manzanar Park Manger and staff, and organized cleaning crews consisting of Northern and Southern California Nisei league baseball players and their families. The crew spent numerous weekends clearing almost 80 years of tumbleweeds and vegetation that had grown over the camp’s original baseball fields. With Dan persistence, he was able to obtain generous donations and raise funds through a GoFundMe page to reconstruct the Manzanar baseball backstop, and bleachers to their original specifications.  The field was not modernized. No baseball field mix was brough in.  His goal was to play baseball on the exact same dirt as the original camp baseball players did back in the 1940’s.

Game 1 – Exhibition game 

Dan asked me to represent the oldest Northern California Japanese American (JA) baseball team, the Lodi JACL Templars, founded in 1915.  We played against the oldest Southern California JA baseball team, the Lil Tokyo Giants managed by Bobby Umemoto. This was the first baseball game to be played on the baseball field in over 80 years.  As both teams lined up prior to the game for the National Anthem, there was a chill in the air. I was not sure if it was the desert wind or the thought of over ten thousand Japanese Americans interned against their will during WWII. Tears were in the eyes of many players and spectators knowing the unjust treatment towards the Japanese Americans at that time, but also how they overcame and persevered after the war, allowing all of us to be standing on this field today. Logan Morita of Lodi and grandson of a Manzanar baseball player, was to bat first in Lodi’s lineup.  Logan said he never felt so nervous but was honored to be playing here.  There is a quote from Takeo Suo,. “Putting on a baseball uniform was like wearing the American flag.” Playing camp baseball was a short three-to-four-hour span where they could escape the feeling of being interned.   The Lil Tokyo Giants won the Exhibition game 11-3.

Game 2 – North vs. South All-Star game  

Game 2 would be the first all-star game consisting of 16 players each  representing the Northern California Nisei Baseball League and the Southern California NAU League. Northern California Nisei Baseball League includes Florin Athletic Club, Lodi JACL Templars, Monterey Maguro’s and the San Francisco Hawks; and the Southern California NAU League includes the Lil Tokyo Giants, Gardena Knights, Gardena Rebels and LA Pirates.  Dan arranged for the players and coaches to wear throwback uniforms, and was even able to get gloves and gear from the 1940’s.  The South dominated the All- Star game by winning 13-5, as the game concluded at dusk.

I was very honored to be a part of this amazing event. Although my family was not interned at Manzanar, just being there to pay respect to all those that were interned at the various camps, made me feel proud. At the end of the day as the sun was setting over the Western Mountain range, I could only smile as it was an end to a perfect day. This is a day I will never forget. Many thanks to Dan for organizing this memorable event and to all the players and families who made this event possible.

Written by: Marty Sakata, Manager of the Lodi JACL Templars

Photos courtesy of Marty Sakata