Foreword: How We Played the Game: Baseball at Manzanar, 1942–1945
This article was written by Dave Roberts
This article was published in How We Played the Game: Baseball at Manzanar, 1942–1945
Since its beginnings in the mid-1800s, baseball has played a pivotal role in bringing people together in meaningful ways. Once segregated, the sport became an important force for change in American society during the Civil Rights Movement. Today, baseball continues to serve that unifying purpose—now on a global stage.
In March 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers opened the Major League Baseball season in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs. It was a jewel event that showcased our great game and generated an unprecedented level of excitement between two countries with deep and rich baseball traditions. With the world’s spotlight focused on the series, millions tuned in to watch.
Such friendship was not always the case. Not long ago, the United States and Japan were bitter enemies, and as a result, more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated during World War II. In those desolate camps, Japanese values—perseverance, courage, and discipline among them—revealed themselves. Even in confinement, Japanese Americans formed baseball leagues that brought much-needed joy and hope during a dark period. This work offers insight into that chapter of history at Manzanar.
Today, the universally recognized best baseball player in the world is Shohei Ohtani. Alongside pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, and many other Dodgers stars, our team enjoys a vast international following. Fans from around the world now unite behind a common goal. The days of “looking like the enemy” are long gone.
With a history of pioneers such as Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, Hideo Nomo, Chan Ho Park, and others, it has been my honor as Dodgers manager to help guide this team for more than a decade. As the son of an African American father and a Japanese mother, and as a proud Okinawan, I understand the importance of this role and never lose sight of the team’s place in society.
From the Civil War to the present day, so much has changed, and baseball has been the absolutely best compliment to this ever-changing, complicated, and wonderful journey of the human experience.
Click here to read more from SABR’s How We Played the Game: Baseball at Manzanar, 1942–1945.
DAVE ROBERTS is the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Okinawa-born Roberts was the first Asian-American manager to win a World Series in Major League Baseball.