Educational Media Reviews Online

One of the things that define us as Americans is the game of baseball. Whether or not you have played it, cheer for a favorite team, or just follow the scores, it always brings back memories of times gone by and of things yet to be. Diamonds in the Rough is a documentary of Japanese-America baseball, narrated by Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, covering over 100 years of baseball from the perspective of Japanese Americans.

This film introduces the viewers to Kenichi ‘Zein’ Zenimura, who is commonly referred to as ‘The Father of Japanese-American Baseball’ and the ‘Dean of the Diamond.’ Although he was small in stature, Zenimura played the game with such enthusiasm and passion that it was contagious to others inside the Japanese-American community and beyond. Even when his family was forced into internment camps during World War II, he built a diamond so that baseball could be played at the camp. This film also includes anecdotes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and discusses the influences of Japanese-American ball players upon baseball in Japan. It also reminds us of the role of Japanese-Americans in American baseball today.

Diamonds in the Rough was a pleasure to watch. It weaved together early black and white photographs and film with narration. This was combined with recent film footage (in color) of older players being recognized for their contributions to baseball or talking about their experiences with the game. It included interviews, many in Japanese that were translated into English, of people who knew Zenimura or had experiences as a Japanese-American baseball player. The quality of both the audio and video was very good (even the older black and what materials), and the pace of the documentary was appropriate. This video is highly recommended for anyone interested in baseball, the history of Japanese-Americans, how sports can influence society, and how a personal vision can have a positive influence upon people during difficult times.