Part 4/14:
Despite the scars of World War II, baseball played a vital role in fostering camaraderie and rebuilding international relations between Japan and the U.S. Post-war, the Japanese professional league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), was modeled closely after Major League Baseball (MLB). However, the relationship between the two leagues was historically complicated. American teams often looked down on Japanese talent, and Japanese players were usually discouraged from leaving Japan to ply their trade abroad.