San Francisco Giants History: Masanori Murakami Debuts

When one thinks about the first player to come over from Japan, most fans automatically think of Hideo Nomo. However, more than 30 years before his debut, Masanori Murakami made his debut with the San Francisco Giants.

Occasionally, there are instances where a Japanese team will come stateside during Spring Training, spending a couple of weeks here and working out with the Major League squad before heading back across the Pacific. That happened this year with the Nippon Ham Fighters and the San Diego Padres, giving both teams a chance to work together.

Yet, this arrangement is nothing new. In fact, back in 1964, the Nankai Hawks loaned three young players to the San Francisco Giants with the idea that they would gain minor league experience, then come back to pitch in Japan. Absolutely nothing was expected from any of those three players, at least from the Giants standpoint.

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However, no one told young pitcher Masanori Murakami that his time in the Giants system was merely for experience. Instead, he dominated the California League, posting a 11-7 record with a 1.78 ERA. After the year finished, he was called up to the Giants in September, where, again, he had minimal expectations. In fact, no one greeted him at the airport, and it took over 20 minutes after he arrived at the hotel for someone to see about getting him a room.

On this day in 1964, Murakami made history when he took the mound, becoming the first Japanese player ever to appear in the Majors. He pitched well in finishing out the Giants 4-1 loss to the Mets, allowing one hit and striking out two in his inning of work. In fact, that would set his career in motion, as Murakami was unscored upon in his first 11 innings, and finished the year with a 1.80 ERA, issuing one walk and striking out 15 batters in 15 innings.

He was not as good the following year, but still pitched well. Murakami posted 4-1 record and eight saves with a 3.75 ERA. He struck out 85 batters against 22 walks in 74.1 innings, and appeared poised to be a successful pitcher in America. Alas, he was forced to return to Japan, where he showed flashes of brilliance, but was not the same pitcher he had been here. Nonetheless, Murakami showed that Japanese players could succeed in the Majors, even though it took another 30+ years for the next one to come over.

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A true traiblazer, Masanori Murakami made history on this day in 1964, becoming the first Japanese player in the Majors. Had he been able to remain with the San Francisco Giants, maybe the influx of talent from the Japanese Leagues would have begun decades earlier.