1993 Dodgers Friendship Series to Taiwan, Japan Honors Memory of Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara

By including Taiwan in the 1993 Dodgers Friendship Series, history was made. The Dodgers became the first Major League Baseball team to play in that country. In the longstanding tradition of Goodwill Tours to Japan, the Dodgers continued to delight baseball fans in Asia. With his longtime friendships in both Taiwan and Japan, Dodger President Peter O’Malley made the arrangements for the five game, two-nation tour.

“International baseball is important to me and I have had the goal to bring the Dodgers back to Asia,” said O’Malley. “I said to the players I only want to accept this invitation if you want to go to Fukuoka and Taipei, and if you truly want to make that trip. The enthusiasm of all the players was just as great as mine. I’ve always believed that sports, and in particular baseball, have an opportunity to generate a tremendous amount of goodwill throughout the world.

“When Mr. (Isao) Nakauchi (Daiei owner) extended the invitation to the Dodgers to visit Asia for the first time since 1966, it was an idea come true. We know the Dodgers have many fans in Asia, many fans in Japan. It will be the first time they’ll have a chance to see the Dodgers since 1966. The stopover in Taiwan is a result of many friendships since 1974 and later with the owners in Taiwan Professional Baseball.”

Longtime O’Malley assistant Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara passed away on October 26, 1992 and the Dodgers dedicated the tour to Asia in his honor the next year. All Dodger uniformed personnel wore a black rectangular patch that read “IKE” in all capital white letters on their right sleeve. Ikuhara was by O’Malley’s side whenever international baseball friendships were formed and was inducted into the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002 as the only major league executive from the United States.

The Dodgers’ first Goodwill Tour to Japan was in 1956, when they played 19 exhibition games throughout the country, including in Hiroshima just 11 years after World War II ended. They were invited by Tokyo Yomiuri Giants founder Matsutaro Shoriki in 1956 and then returned at his invitation again for another Goodwill Tour in 1966, playing 18 exhibition games throughout Japan. 

Those two trips were led by Walter O’Malley, Peter’s father, who made the arrangements with Shoriki confidant Sotaro Suzuki, the highly respected sports columnist who was inducted into the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame. The Dodgers would return 27 years later in 1993, playing two games at the new Fukuoka Dome, home of the Daiei Hawks, in Fukuoka on Japan’s Kyushu Island. 

The friendships developed early on and grew. In 1956, O’Malley traveled to Japan with his parents and sister Terry. His first trip to Taiwan was in 1974 when he met with representatives of Little League and amateur baseball. On November 2-3, 1989, O’Malley made a special trip to Taipei to meet with and support the efforts of Pan Pan “P.P.” Tang, Commissioner of Professional Baseball in Taiwan, and the owners and presidents for the emerging four-team league. O’Malley returned with other international friends to Taipei to attend the first game of the inaugural Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) on March 17, 1990, 20 years to the day after he was named Dodger President. In a dual role designed to help the country’s baseball development, Tang also was president of the Amateur Baseball Association, Republic of China.

As the friendship continued, O’Malley asked Tang to join him for Opening Day, 1990 at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles and Tang was able to be part of the festivities celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Dodgers.

Tang, the president of the Broadcasting Corporation of China Joseph A. Reaves, “Taking in a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia,” University of Nebraska Press, 2002, pg. 148 , always loved baseball and basketball. He had been inspired by the sponsorship success of the 1984 Olympic Games and it led to his interest in professional baseball in Taiwan. Junwei Yu, “Playing in Isolation: A History of Baseball in Taiwan,” University of Nebraska Press, 2007, pg. 93 Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) finished third in the 1984 Olympic Baseball exhibition tournament at Dodger Stadium. Just one year before the Friendship Series, baseball was a gold medal sport for the first time in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, fulfilling a dream for O’Malley and other international baseball leaders who worked for many years advocating its inclusion to IOC members.

Prior to the Friendship Series opener on October 28, 1993, O’Malley hosted a dinner for the staff of the Taiwan baseball team that had participated in the 1984 Olympics. Twbsball.dils.tku.edu.tw On October 29, 1993, O’Malley met with Teng-hui Lee, President of the Republic of China and Taiwan National Party at the Presidential Palace in Taipei. O’Malley also attended the swearing-in ceremony for C.K. Chen, the newly-selected Commissioner of the CPBL.  

O’Malley told the media, “As more and more exchanges like this take place, we’re getting closer to the day there is a true World Series. The China Post, October 29, 1993 I’ve often said that we have an opportunity in baseball, all sports have an opportunity, to generate so much goodwill, that not to take advantage of that opportunity, is a shame, a crime.” 

As has been a tradition of the Dodgers, they created commemorative lapel pins for the 1993 Friendship Series to distribute to opposing teams, dignitaries and fans. One pin was created for the three games in Taiwan and one for the two-game series with the Daiei Hawks in Japan. Also, mini-bats, a small gift but an important and highly collectible traditional one, were also produced and presented by the Dodgers as they toured two countries.     

Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda and his Coaches Ben Hines, Ron Perranoski and Mark Cresse brought 25 players with them for the Friendship Series, including:

Pitchers – Pedro Astacio, Tom Candiotti, Jim Gott, Kip Gross, Orel Hershiser, Jonathan Hurst, Pedro Martinez, Ramon Martinez, Roger McDowell and Steve Wilson

Catchers – Carlos Hernandez and Mike Piazza

Infielders – Rafael Bournigal, Dave Hansen, Lenny Harris, Eric Karros, Jose Offerman, Jody Reed, Mike Sharperson and Tim Wallach

Outfielders – Brett Butler, Raul Mondesi, Henry Rodriguez, Cory Snyder and Darryl Strawberry

The Dodgers, coming off an 81-81 regular season record in 1993, opened the Friendship Series In Taiwan (officially the Republic of China) with three games at Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium. All three games would be played against Chinese Professional Baseball League All-Stars. 

Also making the trip with the Dodgers were Vin Scully, the Hall of Fame Dodger broadcaster; Bowie Kuhn, Major League Baseball Commissioner (1969-1984); Rod Dedeaux, legendary USC head baseball coach and USA Olympic Baseball head coach in 1964 and 1984; Bill White, National League President and former MLB star player; and Dr. Frank Jobe, Dodger team physician who was first to pioneer elbow ligament replacement known as Tommy John surgery. In addition, family members included Annette O’Malley (Mrs. Peter) and Peter’s sister and brother-in-law, Terry O’Malley Seidler and Rollie Seidler.

Before the first game in Taiwan, O’Malley commented about international exchanges, “I know how important they are to the growth of baseball in a country like Taiwan. Having the Dodgers here is going to be a great asset to (the development of baseball) in Taiwan.” Ibid.  

Pitcher Pedro Martinez, a 2015 inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame, started the first game on October 29 for the visitors against All-Star players from the Wei Chuan Dragons and Jungo Bears. O’Malley was invited by Commissioner Chen to throw the ceremonial first pitch. The Dodgers won the game, 4-2, as catcher Mike Piazza, the 1993 National League Rookie of the Year and 2016 Hall of Fame inductee, went 2-3 with a solo home run, scored twice and was the game’s MVP. Martinez gave up two runs and three hits, while striking out four in four innings. Following him to the mound were game winner Kip Gross for three innings, Orel Hershiser for one inning and Jim Gott for one inning to close it out for the save with the game televised on KSCI Channel 18, Los Angeles.

On October 30, the Dodgers and combined Uni-President Lions and China Times Eagles battled to a scoreless tie until the bottom of the 10th inning. The All-Stars got a pair of bunt singles off Dodger left-hander Steve Wilson and the crowd went wild when a line drive single by Jiang Taiquan to left field scored the game’s only run. O’Malley congratulated Taiquan on the field with the game’s MVP award. The series was even at one game apiece. The Dodgers had five hits total, two apiece by outfielders Brett Butler and Henry Rodriguez. Knuckleballer Tom Candiotti started for the Dodgers and went five scoreless innings, allowing only three hits.

In the finale of the series in Taiwan on October 31, the Dodgers lost 6-5, as the CPBL 1993 Champion Brother Elephants and Mercuries Tigers All-Stars rallied for six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to erase a 4-0 Dodger advantage. Game MVP Pedro Astacio was the starting pitcher and went five scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. Jose Offerman and Henry Rodriguez each had three hits of the Dodgers’ 12 total.

In the three games, fan response was tremendous as more than 35,000 attended games at Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium. 

Author Andrew D. Morris wrote, “…in 1993, the Los Angeles Dodgers major league squad visited, only to be beaten in two of three games by Taiwan’s CPBL teams. The presence in Taiwan’s ballparks of these representatives of the great American and Japanese baseball traditions only boosted the status of the CPBL in the eyes of Taiwanese and foreign baseball communities.” Andrew D. Morris, “Colonial Project, National Game: A History of Baseball in Taiwan,” Univ. of California Press, 2011  

On February 24, 1997, O’Malley returned to Taipei to meet with baseball leaders from Taiwan, Japan and South Korea and attended the season opening game between the Uni-President Lions and the China Times Eagles. 

In 1997, pitcher Wilson would return to Taiwan to play professionally for the rival Taiwan Major League (TML) Kaohsiung-Pingtung Fala, while pitcher Jonathan Hurst also played professionally in Taiwan from 1998-1999 for the CPBL’s Mercuries Tigers. Following his playing career, Cory Snyder coached and for two seasons (2017-2018) he was manager of the Chinatrust Brothers team in the CPBL.

The CPBL All-Stars captured the series and it was time for the Dodgers to express appreciation to their hosts and head to Fukuoka.

The beautiful Fukuoka Dome, Japan’s first stadium with a retractable roof and the world’s largest geodesic dome, opened on April 2, 1993. Peter O’Malley was impressed when he was provided with a tour of the ballpark earlier that fall on September 18.

In his press conference that day sitting next to Daiei’s Tadashi Nakauchi, son of Isao Nakauchi, founder of Daiei, O’Malley said, “I remember very clearly when Tadashi’s father visited me in Los Angeles and told me about his dream. We kept in contact during the planning and the building of the dome and today I saw it for the first time and I am absolutely amazed and impressed. It is the state-of-the-art and the finest domed stadium in the world…it’s fabulous. I just admire the vision of Mr. Nakauchi and it reminds me of the vision that my father had when he built Dodger Stadium in 1962 in Los Angeles. Both men had extraordinary vision and I know how proud Mr. Nakauchi must be of the stadium and how happy the fans must be to come to this facility. It’s just an extraordinary thing for Fukuoka.”  

When they arrived, Dodger players took an extended tour of the domed stadium and were duly impressed with the ample space for the suites, clubhouses and bullpens with all the accompanying amenities.

Tommy Lasorda and some of the Dodger players went to the local children’s hospital to greet patients, provide them with words of encouragement and distribute Friendship Series lapel pins.

On November 2 and 3, the Dodgers played a combined team of Daiei Hawks and select Tokyo Yomiuri Giants. In an exciting first game, the Dodgers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, two of them scoring on Mike Piazza’s double. But, the home team stifled the Dodgers the rest of the way, while pitcher Orel Hershiser kept the combined Hawks-Giants scoreless through five innings on only two hits. 

The professionals from Japan chipped away at the lead in the late innings to tie and the game went into extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Hiroshi Yugamidani, an infielder for the Hawks, hit a sinking line drive to the gap and centerfielder Brett Butler dove to catch it, but was unable to come up with it. A relay throw to home plate by Jose Offerman to catcher Jerry Brooks was a split-second late and Yugamidani had the exciting inside-the-park home run as a game winner, 4-3.

The final game of the Friendship Series was on Culture Day, a national holiday in Japan. It was memorable for the host Daiei Hawks-Giants, who scored nine runs in the fifth inning and went on to rout the Dodgers, 16-1, to conclude the two-game exhibition. More than 62,000 fans attended the games at Fukuoka Dome.  

Although the Dodgers had a 1-4 overall record on the goodwill tour, it was an extraordinary trip, as more friendships were made, great appreciation was shown to the Dodgers for making the trip by baseball fans in both Taiwan and Japan, and the global game had continued to advance as O’Malley had predicted.