Description

AN HISTORICAL PIECE OF JAPANESE BASEBALL, THE 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS AND THE POST WAR OSAKA BASEBALL STADIUM. THIS LARGE BANNER APPROXIMATELY 5X7 FEET IS PRIMARILY DARK BLUE WITH WHITE AND RED. THERE ARE INTER-TWINING CIRCLES THAT INTERLOCK INTO THE THREADS OF A BASEBALL. LARGE BOLD RED LETTERS "NBL", NIPPON BASEBALL LEAGUE. THERE IS A TOP BUNTING WITH THREE REINFORCED TRIANGULAR LEATHER TABS WITH CENTER GROMMETS AND ROPE TIES. THERE IS SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE BANNER AS SHOWN IN A PHOTO AND A STAIN OR TWO. THIS BANNER IS A BRINGBACK FROM A PACIFIC U.S. VETERAN THAT REMAINED PART OF THE "OCCUPATION OF JAPAN" FORCES. A SECOND-HAND ACCOUNT OF THE FLAGS HISTORY FROM THE VET'S WIDOW IS THIS: DURING NAZI GERMANY'S 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS THERE WERE EXHIBITION OLYMPIC BASEBALL GAMES PLAYED (INCLUDING THE US). THIS BANNER WAS BROUGHT THERE BY MEMBERS OF THE JAPANESE BASEBALL TEAM (ORIX BLUE WAVE-HANKYU BRAVES)OWNED BY THE HANSHIN KYUKO RAILWAY COMPANY OF OSAKA, JAPAN. IRONICALLY, BASEBALL WAS AN APPROVED SPORT FOR THE 1940 OLYMPICS IN JAPAN, BUT THE WAR PUT AN END TO THAT. AFTER WWII, THE U.S. OCCUPYING FORCES HELPED JAPANESE BASEBALL GET ON ITS FEET AGAIN, AND IN 1950 OSAKA BASEBALL STADIUM WAS BUILT, WHERE THIS BANNER BRIEFLY FLEW. IT WAS TAKEN DOWN AND BROUGHT HOME BY THIS GI. INCLUDED IS AN AD FROM THE 60'S I BELIEVE, SHOWING THE OSAKA STADIUM AND SOME OF THE TEAM FROM THAT YEAR. THIS IS AN INTERESTING, ONE OF A KIND, PIECE OF BASEBALL, OLYMPIC, WWII AND POST-WAR HISTORY.----I WELCOME INPUT TO THE HISTORY OF THIS BANNER.