A former archaeologist with a Ph.d from Brown University, Robert K. Fitts left academics behind to follow his passion - Japanese baseball. An award-winning author and speaker, his articles have appeared numerous journals, magazines, and websites. He is also the author of ten books on Japanese baseball and Japanese baseball cards. Fitts is the founder of SABR’s Asian Baseball Committee and a recipient of the society’s 2013 Seymour Medal for the Best Baseball Book of 2012 (Banzai Babe Ruth); the 2019 and 2023 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Awards; the 2012 Doug Pappas Award for the best oral research presentation at the annual convention; and the 2006, 2021, and 2023 SABR Research Awards. He has twice been a finalist for the Casey Award and has received two silver medals at the Independent Publisher Book Awards. While living in Tokyo in 1993-94, Fitts began collecting Japanese baseball cards and now runs Robs Japanese Cards LLC.
BOOKS
Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan Volume I, 1907-1958
Winner of the 2023 SABR Research Award
Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan Volume II, 1960-2019
Issei Baseball
Winner of the 2021 SABR Research Award
Mashi: The Unfulfilled Baseball Dreams of Masanori Murakami
Banzai Babe Ruth
Winner of the 2012 Seymour Medal
Banzai Babe Ruth
Japanese Language Edition
Wally Yonamine
Remembering Japanese Baseball
Winner of the 2005 SABR Research Award
Japanese Baseball Superstars
PDF Only
An Illustrated Introduction to Japanese Baseball Cards
