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The Kozlevcars – From El Segundo to . . . Pretty Much Everywhere
Nothing, the average person might conclude, is particularly notable about El Segundo, Calif., other than it being a nice beach town and literal next-door neighbor of Los Angeles International Airport that offers its citizens regular views of aircraft comings and…
John Kohl’s Baseball Journey – A Dizzying Pace Few Could Match
To the vast majority of the population, May 15, 1965 is simply a day. One far in the past, only vaguely recalled – if at all – and of little or no significance. John Kohl, however, is in the minority.…
Henry Phan – Now a Baseball Fan!
That Henry Phan has been on four JapanBall trips in less than two years and has more planned might lead to the assumption that he’s been passionate about baseball for a long time. But that would be wrong. “I’m not…
Clay Breshears – A True “Veteran” of JapanBall!
As a JapanBaller, it’s fair to say that Clay Breshears has earned his stripes. More so than most. He began his odyssey in 2014 and now counts nine trips to Japan, a couple to various parts of the U.S. west coast,…
JapanBall “Guinea Pigs” Pam and Steve Ikeda: Always Ready for Something New
For the longest time, Pam and Steve Ikeda’s JapanBall experience was a continuous set of firsts: Though the first/first streak ended when they went on JapanBall’s venerable See-it-All tour of Japan in 2024, the Ikedas – who’ve now earned their Hall of Fame stripes…
Francisco “Pachy” Castillo – JapanBall’s “Go-To Guy” in the Dominican Republic
Like many young men in the Dominican Republic, Francisco Castillo grew up wanting to be a professional baseball player. It didn’t work out, but he eventually found a way into the game. It’s a case of a dream dashed, but…
Exploring the Rich Tapestry of Japan through Baseball, Culture, and Friendship with Tom Russell
At first glance, Tom Russell’s motivation for joining a JapanBall tour seems pretty simple – “I like to travel and see baseball, and this lets me do both at the same time.” But a closer look reveals that it’s not really that…
Susan McCormac Finds a Niche in NYC with a Passion for Japanese Culture and Baseball
To this day, Susan McCormac will tell you she doesn’t like group tours. She says, “no, thanks,” to the rigidity, the tight structure, the feeling that no time is your own. But she has discovered that some group tours are…
A Love of Japan and People Make Amy Ross a JapanBall Favorite
Amy Ross’s first JapanBall tour proved to be much more than an ordinary vacation. “It was life-changing for me,” she says. “I got into a like-minded community and had a whole new world in front of me.” It was a…
Larry Lipsher: JapanBall’s “Most Interesting Man in the World”
Put simply, Larry Lipsher has led a full life. And continues to. Lipsher describes himself as a “full-time curmudgeon, long-time rice-counter, cynical stand-up comedian, and semi-retired author of the best bleeping tax books and essays you ever will find!” But…