Photo of Matsutaro Shoriki throwing ceremonial first pitch during 1956 Dodgers Goodwill Tour to Japan

(L-R) Sotaro Suzuki; National League President Warren Giles; Dodger President Walter O’Malley; Matsutaro Shoriki; and unidentified. It was most appropriate for Matsutaro Shoriki, the highly-respected “father of professional baseball in Japan” to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a game in Tokyo’s Korakuen Stadium during the 1956 Dodgers Goodwill Tour to Japan. Shoriki was founder of the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, first organized Japan’s professional leagues and invited the Dodgers to tour in Japan. In 1959, Shoriki became the first inductee into the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame. Also, the Matsutaro Shoriki Award is presented annually to the individual who contributes the most to baseball in Japan.