Henry Wakabayashi

Tadashi Henry Wakabayashi (若林 忠志) was a professional baseball pitcher born March 1, 1908, in Oahu, Hawaii, to parents who had immigrated from Hiroshima, Japan. A second-generation Japanese American, he attended President William McKinley High School, where his powerful fastball made him the ace of the baseball team. In 1928 he traveled to Japan for an exhibition tournament, pitching against university teams in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League at a time when professional baseball did not yet exist in Japan. Hosei University recruited him aggressively during that trip. He died March 5, 1965.