This photo taken on September 21, 2024 shows little figurines of Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US, in a display of memorabilia in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. Shohei Ohtani last week made Major League Baseball history but it was Masanori Murakami who laid the groundwork 60 years ago when he became the first Japanese player in MLB. Now 80 and with a twinkle in his eye, Murakami says Ohtani is a "model" baseball player and the perfect ambassador for Japan. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) / TO GO WITH: baseball-JPN-MLB-Murakami-OhtaniI, INTERVIEW by Andrew MCKIRDY (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

This photo taken on September 21, 2024 shows Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US, speaking during an interview with AFP in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. Shohei Ohtani last week made Major League Baseball history but it was Masanori Murakami who laid the groundwork 60 years ago when he became the first Japanese player in MLB. Now 80 and with a twinkle in his eye, Murakami says Ohtani is a "model" baseball player and the perfect ambassador for Japan. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) / TO GO WITH: baseball-JPN-MLB-Murakami-OhtaniI, INTERVIEW by Andrew MCKIRDY (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

This photo taken on September 21, 2024 shows Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US, talking about some of the memorabilia on display, before an interview with AFP in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. Shohei Ohtani last week made Major League Baseball history but it was Masanori Murakami who laid the groundwork 60 years ago when he became the first Japanese player in MLB. Now 80 and with a twinkle in his eye, Murakami says Ohtani is a "model" baseball player and the perfect ambassador for Japan. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) / TO GO WITH: baseball-JPN-MLB-Murakami-OhtaniI, INTERVIEW by Andrew MCKIRDY (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

This photo taken on September 21, 2024 shows Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US, speaking during an interview with AFP in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. Shohei Ohtani last week made Major League Baseball history but it was Masanori Murakami who laid the groundwork 60 years ago when he became the first Japanese player in MLB. Now 80 and with a twinkle in his eye, Murakami says Ohtani is a "model" baseball player and the perfect ambassador for Japan. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) / TO GO WITH: baseball-JPN-MLB-Murakami-OhtaniI, INTERVIEW by Andrew MCKIRDY (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

This photo taken on September 21, 2024 shows Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US, smiling as he puts on a San Francisco Giants jersey before an interview with AFP in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. Shohei Ohtani last week made Major League Baseball history but it was Masanori Murakami who laid the groundwork 60 years ago when he became the first Japanese player in MLB. Now 80 and with a twinkle in his eye, Murakami says Ohtani is a "model" baseball player and the perfect ambassador for Japan. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) / TO GO WITH: baseball-JPN-MLB-Murakami-OhtaniI, INTERVIEW by Andrew MCKIRDY (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

This photo taken on September 21, 2024 shows Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US, speaking with AFP in front of a framed autograph and image of Jackie Robinson (back R) - who was the first Black player in the Major Leagues in 1947 - during an interview in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. Shohei Ohtani last week made Major League Baseball history but it was Masanori Murakami who laid the groundwork 60 years ago when he became the first Japanese player in MLB. Now 80 and with a twinkle in his eye, Murakami says Ohtani is a "model" baseball player and the perfect ambassador for Japan. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) / TO GO WITH: baseball-JPN-MLB-Murakami-OhtaniI, INTERVIEW by Andrew MCKIRDY (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

This photo taken on September 21, 2024 shows Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US, looking at a collection of memorabilia - including a photo of himself (C-in photo) with teammate and Hall of Famer Willie Mays (L-in photo) - before an interview with AFP in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. Shohei Ohtani last week made Major League Baseball history but it was Masanori Murakami who laid the groundwork 60 years ago when he became the first Japanese player in MLB. Now 80 and with a twinkle in his eye, Murakami says Ohtani is a "model" baseball player and the perfect ambassador for Japan. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) / TO GO WITH: baseball-JPN-MLB-Murakami-OhtaniI, INTERVIEW by Andrew MCKIRDY (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

This photo taken on September 21, 2024 shows Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US, pointing to an autograph from 1965 by Hall of Fame great Hank Aaron in a collection of memorabilia, before an interview with AFP in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. Shohei Ohtani last week made Major League Baseball history but it was Masanori Murakami who laid the groundwork 60 years ago when he became the first Japanese player in MLB. Now 80 and with a twinkle in his eye, Murakami says Ohtani is a "model" baseball player and the perfect ambassador for Japan. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) / TO GO WITH: baseball-JPN-MLB-Murakami-OhtaniI, INTERVIEW by Andrew MCKIRDY (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)