Book Review: Taking in a Game - A History of Baseball in Asia

Taking in a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia
By Joseph A. Reaves
Published by Bison Books - University of Nebraska Press
p. 208

I read a lot of baseball book so I that I can review them for At Home Plate and our readers and while most of these books are fun and good reads occasionally I come across one that is such a gem that I can only say “wow!” Taking in a Game is one of these rare books.

To say that this book is something special is an understatement - this book will be the definitive book on Asian baseball and how Japan has taken America’s game and made it their own. In some ways baseball has become almost more of the heart and soul of Japan than it is in America. In all of the years that I have followed the game, Asian baseball is a topic that has usually been brushed over and treated as if it were insignificant. This book takes that notion and turns it on its ear by exposing the history and the truth about the export version of America’s game.

Baseball has a following in Asia that easily rivals the following in this country, not only in Japan but also in much of the Pacific Rim. There baseball is not viewed as American but as a Japanese game and the nations in that region of the world take the Japanese version as the soul of the game. This book spans the biggest of the baseball playing nations - Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

You might presume that baseball is baseball no matter where it is played - but it has been a lot more than that. The games are different, the customs are different and even the way that managers, coaches, and players are treated is different. The guiding philosophy of the game is even different – it is baseball and recognizable as such but it is played in a fashion that the modern American fan and even more so the western player would find hard to fully comprehend.

While baseball to us might be only a game - it has been much more in Asia where it has been a symbol of national pride - used in politics, business, and even military training. This book is a gateway and an incredible starting point to understanding the game of baseball not just as game but also as a force within a number of cultures besides our own.

The book calls itself history but it is really a lot more than that – it’s also about politics, business and anthropology. What is remarkable about this book is that it is written as a scholarly look at baseball’s history in Asia - and through it we can see pieces of our own world - yet it is so readable that it might be a novel.

This is a rare book - one that is interesting, readable and also breaks a lot of new ground and enlightens a whole new audience to a game that we know and love yet is totally foreign to us. It is also as close to perfect as you could ask and I have no doubt that it will be the defining work on Asian baseball and how it has changed our game for a long time to come.

Special books don’t come along too often - if you are capable of looking past MLB then this book is a must read; it will change your whole take on America’s game.

Only twice before have I given a book a perfect 4-ball rating - but this one gets it with no reservations at all. Run - don’t walk to your local store to get a copy of this one, or better yet order it from the link below.

Our Rating System is based on a four ball system as follows:
One Ball: Average. It has something to say but is nothing special.
Two Balls: Something men usually have - also means its a cut above average, and worth reading/owning.
Three balls: Stands out from its peers and is highly recommended.
Four Balls: More than just what two men have when hanging out together, it means it is an exceptional book that truly earns a walk - straight to the local book store to get a copy.