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NIAGARA SIGNEE BECOMES SPORT’S 1ST ASIAN-BORN PLAYER
PITCHER FROM FUKUOKA WAS PLAYING FOR INDEPENDENT NEW YORK CITY CLUB

BUFFALO, N.Y. (Dec 16, 1873) - After a five-game improvement brought Niagara BBC closer to their first .500 record in the APBL in 1873 – they finished 43-47 – the front office has looked to make some tweaks to the team’s regular set of players this winter.

In early November the club signed Excelsior CF and 6x All-Star Obelix Tsiaris to take over CF duties from Henry Card, in early December they signed good-looking Italian outfielder Giacomo Branca from an independent club in Manhattan to be their new LF, and 48 hours ago they brought in Shamrock’s William Schumacher to upgrade the SS position. The team announced another signing today, and it is one that had made history.

The front office was not explicitly looking to upgrade the team’s pitching corps this winter, but after repeated looks at a talented pitcher playing in the New York City independent circuit while scouting other players they decided to bring in 25-year-old Tomoharu Mukai, who, with his signing, becomes the first Asian-born player in organized baseball history.

Word is that Mukai left his hometown in Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture for San Francisco roughly half a decade ago to work as a woodworker, and his notable talents in the trade saw him brought to New York by a furniture company a few years ago. Mukai picked up the sport while making bats for a couple of local clubs, and after being invited to take part in some informal games showed natural aptitude as a pitcher.

Those who saw him pitch in New York City over the summer regard Mukai as a four-star pitching talent at APBL level, one who has good control of the ball and is comfortable pitching the ball to any spot in the Batter’s Area. He reportedly has excellent stamina, keeps baserunners on their toes, and is an expert fielder.

With the above taken into account, the tea leaves indicate that Niagara is going to make Mukai part of their regular pitching duo, with a chance to take the #1 spot after Carlton Dempsey had a somewhat disappointing Greenhorn campaign. So, not only is Mukai a history maker but he might end up as an important player for Niagara in 1874.