A FILM BY YURIKO GAMO ROMER
At a time when division seems to consume the globe, there is a need for common ground. Sports has provided a space where divisive politics, economics, race and social class can stand together. Baseball has been common ground for the United States and Japan over the last century and a half.
Diamond Diplomacy is a revealing upcoming feature documentary which examines how the iconic American pastime came to Japan and endured war and racism to also become the national pastime of Japan. Diamond Diplomacy explores the role baseball plays in trans-Pacific diplomacy, including unexpected ambassadors such as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Lefty O’Doul.
“Babe Ruth...is a great deal more effective Ambassador than I could ever be.”
- Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Joseph Grew, on Babe Ruth's famous 1934 Barnstorming Trip to Japan
The personal stories of two former professional players will lead viewers through this shared history: Japanese baseball legend, Masanori Murakami, who played for the San Francisco Giants; and an American slugger, Warren Cromartie, who played for the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants. America and Japan still share a passion for baseball today as players and fans continue to find common ground on the baseball field.
Goodwill Ambassador Lefty O’Doul shaking hands with Crown Prince Akihito, recently abdicated Emperor of Japan, during the San Francisco Seals’ Goodwill Tour of Japan during the Allied occupation.
