Old Missoula

Japanese Team To Play Here This Evening
Missoula fans are assured an interesting game this evening at 5:30 when the nine little brown men of the Meiji university, Japan, are to meet the Northern Pacific team at Campbell park. The Meiji players arrived here last evening on train No. 42 of the Northern Pacific, Missoula being one of their stops in a trip across the continent for a series of games at most of the principal cities along the route. Sunday the team played in Spokane and was defeated, 9 to 3, by the Spokane Eagles. Yesterday the team stopped at Sandpoint.
According to reports of the performances of the Japs in Spokane, the Northern Pacific team is going to wallop the little men who have come across the Pacific to play Americans at their own game. The fielding of the visitors is said to be wonderful but they lack a kick in swinging on the ball. Their best stunt is to bunt the ball and they are experts at the squeeze play. The Japanese shortstop, Nazakawa, is said to be one of the fastest men that has ever romped over a Spokane field. Takase, first baseman, is a Southpaw and guards the initial station in good style.
The Northern Pacific team is in good shape for the fray and will put forth every effort to beat the relatives of section hands. The railroaders are heavy hitters and this will be a big factor in the game against the foreigners. The locals should have little trouble in grabbing the long end of the score but the contest will undoubtedly be an interesting one.

The above article appeared in The Missoulian newspaper on Wednesday, July 29, 1914.

The following day the same newspaper reported that the N.P. team failed to wallop the Japanese team, with the result 3 to 2 in their favor. The Japanese recorded more hits, 6 to 4 but still lost the game.

“Both teams were weak with the willow. The Japs appeared to be muscle bound about the shoulders and were best at bunting. The Northern Pacific men swung at the leather pill hard enough, but could not connect. The pitcher for the visitors, Nakaumra, has a fast one that takes a mean hop at the plate and this fooled many of Charley Mitchell’s men. . .
“Considering that they have not played baseball long, the Japs do very well. An American coach could teach them much about the inside of baseball and probably help them with the hitting. The Japs lost by high throws to bases. The visitors did not protest a decision; neither did the Northern Pacific team. In this regard the game was unique. There was not a “crabby” word spoken on the field. The coaching of the Japanese in their native language furnished sport for the fans and also near music for the contest. The talk was loudest when the Nippon men tied up the score with two runs in the fifth inning.
“Joe McBreen of the Northern Pacific team, of course, got the only three-base hit of the contest. This blow resulted in the winning tally for the railroaders.
“The Japanese play in Deer Lodge tomorrow.”

The Campbell field mentioned here was located in Missoula’s downtown area, east of Higgins Avenue near the N. P. Railroad. It was named for Hugh Campbell, a longtime Missoula player, organizer and city judge. Another later Campbell field was located on South Higgins Avenue. Originally on land donated by attorney and congressman John L. Campbell, that field hosted the professional baseball team Missoula Timberjacks. The field was named for his son, Douglas, who was killed in WW2. Hugh and John L. Campbell were friends but not related.

The author of the above baseball articles was likely Missoulian editor French T. Ferguson.

Anyone following baseball today, 2026, knows that one of the greatest players ever to play the game is Japanese native Shohei Ohtani of the L. A. Dodgers. He’s 6’3” and weighs over 200 lbs.