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Van Meter, Iowa : Hometown of the "Fireball Pitcher"
In the summer of 2010, while on a road trip around the United States, I stopped in Madison County, Iowa, to see Roseman Bridge, the covered bridge made famous by the novel "The Bridges of Madison County " by Robert James Waller. This is an internationally bestselling novel about the love story between a photographer who comes to Madison County to photograph covered bridges and a local married woman. The 1995 film of the same name based on this novel was also a huge hit, star
5 days ago
Commerce, Oklahoma : The Hometown of the Greatest Switch-Hitter in History
During the summer of 2010, I took a road trip across the United States. On that trip, I visited a place I had always wanted to see: the town of Commerce, located in northeastern Oklahoma. Baseball fans will immediately recognize this name. Yes, it's famous as the hometown of Mickey Mantle. Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees in the 1950s and 60s and is considered the greatest switch-hitter in Major League Baseball history. His 536 career home runs rank 18th all-tim
Nov 7
Hubbard, Texas : The first man to achieve “another” 50-50
In the summer of 2011, I was driving around the US, mainly in Alabama and Mississippi, but I decided to take a quick trip to Texas as...
Oct 3
Wiggins, Mississippi : A funny rest area on U.S. Highway 49
In my last column, I wrote about my visit to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. The purpose of my visit was to see the...
Aug 15
Roy Campanella and George Clooney
The Los Angeles Dodgers have established the Roy Campanella Award. Each year, players and coaches vote for one player who, like Roy Campanella, demonstrates leadership and spiritual strength within the team. The award was established in 2006, and this year marks its 20th anniversary. It was announced on September 20th that Miguel Rojas has been selected as the 2025 recipient for the second consecutive year, following last year. Besides Rojas, three other players have been se
Nov 21
What happened exactly 100 years ago : The great things two men accomplished
One hundred years ago, in 1925, a remarkable event took place in Major League Baseball. This year, 2025, marks the 100th anniversary of that event, yet it's not even mentioned in Japan. What about in the United States? That remarkable event was Rogers Hornsby winning the Triple Crown. This was Hornsby's second Triple Crown. He was the first player in Major League Baseball history to win the Triple Crown twice (later Ted Williams was the only player to do so twice). Furthermo
Oct 31
Pitcher Selection in the World Series : “Strange selections” in Two American Films
It's fair to say that pitchers hold the key to victory or defeat in the short-term World Series. Therefore, it's important to select the right pitchers. To do this, it's essential to avoid any eccentricities and select pitchers in a way that everyone can accept. However... There are two American films that I always think of during World Series season. Both films feature scenes about the World Series, but in both cases, I can't help but think that the pitcher selection was st
Oct 24
"Field of Dreams" : Its strange "mystery"
This time, I'd like to talk about something very strange. I don't think anyone has pointed this out before, but I apologize if someone...
Sep 12
Cal Raleigh : The "strange" switch-hitter who set a great record
This year, in 2025, I was both amazed and deeply impressed by what Seattle Mariners catcher and switch-hitter Cal Raleigh accomplished. In 1970, Johnny Bench set the record for most home runs by a catcher in a single season with 45. In 2021, Salvador Pérez, who surpassed Bench's record, had 48 home runs. Cal Raleigh has now achieved the incredible feat of breaking that record with 60 home runs. His 60 home runs also surpassed Ken Griffey Jr.'s previous record of 56 in 1997 a
Nov 14
Two Superstars in 2025 : Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani
It's fair to say that Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the two most representative superstars in Major League Baseball today. These two players performed remarkably well this year during the 2025 regular season, though both also had their share of disappointments. This time, I'd like to look back on their accomplishments and disappointments. A concise but well-written biography of Aaron Judge by Clayton Geoffreys (2020) A press photo collection of Shohei Ohtani from the firs
Oct 17
Mendoza Line : The Batting Statistics of a Dodgers Player
I have two CDs by the American rock band "The Mendoza Line." The only reason I bought them was because the band's name was derived from a...
Oct 10
Home Run Leaders' Doubles
To hit a lot of doubles, you need to consistently hit the ball hard with the bat. This means that players who hit a lot of home runs also...
Sep 26
Author
Makio Mukai, MD, PhD
I'm MLB enthusiast.
From 2007 to 2019, I wrote weekly column about MLB for the Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun.
I have published three books about MLB in Japanese.
Van Meter, Iowa : Hometown of the "Fireball Pitcher"
In the summer of 2010, while on a road trip around the United States, I stopped in Madison County, Iowa, to see Roseman Bridge, the covered bridge made famous by the novel "The Bridges of Madison County " by Robert James Waller. This is an internationally bestselling novel about the love story between a photographer who comes to Madison County to photograph covered bridges and a local married woman. The 1995 film of the same name based on this novel was also a huge hit, star
5 days ago
Roy Campanella and George Clooney
The Los Angeles Dodgers have established the Roy Campanella Award. Each year, players and coaches vote for one player who, like Roy Campanella, demonstrates leadership and spiritual strength within the team. The award was established in 2006, and this year marks its 20th anniversary. It was announced on September 20th that Miguel Rojas has been selected as the 2025 recipient for the second consecutive year, following last year. Besides Rojas, three other players have been se
Nov 21
Cal Raleigh : The "strange" switch-hitter who set a great record
This year, in 2025, I was both amazed and deeply impressed by what Seattle Mariners catcher and switch-hitter Cal Raleigh accomplished. In 1970, Johnny Bench set the record for most home runs by a catcher in a single season with 45. In 2021, Salvador Pérez, who surpassed Bench's record, had 48 home runs. Cal Raleigh has now achieved the incredible feat of breaking that record with 60 home runs. His 60 home runs also surpassed Ken Griffey Jr.'s previous record of 56 in 1997 a
Nov 14
Commerce, Oklahoma : The Hometown of the Greatest Switch-Hitter in History
During the summer of 2010, I took a road trip across the United States. On that trip, I visited a place I had always wanted to see: the town of Commerce, located in northeastern Oklahoma. Baseball fans will immediately recognize this name. Yes, it's famous as the hometown of Mickey Mantle. Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees in the 1950s and 60s and is considered the greatest switch-hitter in Major League Baseball history. His 536 career home runs rank 18th all-tim
Nov 7
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