The Chrysanthemum and the Bat Review

 Digitized by Jessica Suchman and Catherine Nissley

The Chrysanthemum and the Bat: Baseball Samurai Style traces the history of contemporary baseball in Japan, from its introduction in 1873 to its present status as the passion of The Land of the Rising Sun. This book reveals how Japanese cultural values – group identity, cooperations, hard work, respect for age and seniority – have permeated every aspect of the game, from training methods, to team spirit, and attitudes toward winning and losing. Whiting describes how the game is telecast (one hour and twenty-six minutes regardless of the duration of the game); the role of the Japanese manager (after a seven game losing streak one manager apologized to the fans for "this disgrace"; the nature of the superstar player in Japan, and much more.