June 29, 2013, Tokyo, Japan, Japan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, O’Malley Family Special Exhibit Opening Ceremony. Ribbon cutting with (L-R) Ryozo Kato, Commissioner of Baseball & Chairman of the Board of Directors, Japan Baseball Hall of Fame; Peter O’Malley; and Renzo Ishii, longtime Head Baseball Coach, Waseda University, Tokyo and Japan Baseball Hall of Famer.

Biography

Ryozo Kato

Ryozo Kato was the Commissioner of Baseball in Japan from 2008-2013. Previously, he was the Japanese Ambassador to the United States from 2001-2008. A career diplomat, Kato worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in several capacities. He graduated from Tokyo University Faculty of Law and Yale Law School. As a 15-year-old, he witnessed the second game of the Dodgers’ 1956 Goodwill Tour to Japan (Dodgers beat the All-Central League All-Stars, 7-1, in Tokyo) and it made a lasting impression on him that countries could bond through baseball. He has remained a fan of baseball ever since. It was also a game attended by Peter O’Malley, his dad Walter, mother Kay and sister Terry.

May 24, 2012 at the residence of the Consul General of Japan, Los Angeles, (L-R) Yasuyuki Sugiura, President and CEO, Mitsubishi International Corporation; Peter O’Malley; Japan Ambassador to the U.S. and Japan Baseball Commissioner Ryozo Kato; and Jun Niimi, Consul General of Japan, Los Angeles.

Peter and Kato were together for the ribbon-cutting ceremonies at the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 for an exhibit celebrating the 110th anniversary of the 1903 birth of Walter O’Malley and the lasting friendship between baseball in Japan and the O’Malley family. Kato, who was Japan Baseball Hall of Fame chairman of the board of directors, said at the time, “We are looking forward to welcoming many baseball fans as they visit this exhibition, which is being made possible through the kind and special cooperation of Mr. Peter O’Malley and his sister, Terry O’Malley Seidler.”