After years of organizing and countless labor hours, the restored baseball field at Manzanar hosts a doubleheader Oct. 17.
By CHRISTOPHER MAKOTO YEE
RAFU CONTRIBUTOR
Logan Morita, 25, grew up hearing stories about his Great Uncle Jim playing baseball in Manzanar.
For Morita, a Lodi resident whose mother’s family was incarcerated in Rohwer, Arkansas, and father’s family was incarcerated in Manzanar, it was inspiring to hear about how baseball made life more tolerable for the camp’s 10,000 incarcerees. Little did he know that he would get to suit up to play a game in that same desolate desert locale more than 80 years later.
“It honestly amazed me to see the incredible things Japanese Americans were able to build at camp under those conditions, including the gardens and this baseball field,” Morita said. “I am immensely grateful for all the volunteers who put in countless hours to rehabilitate and restore the field to what it was like during the internment camp era.”
The Manzanar Baseball Project and nonprofit arts organization Great Leap will celebrate the long-awaited completion of the restored Manzanar baseball field with a Grand Opening Double-Header 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Manzanar National Historic Site, 5001 S. Hwy. 395 in Independence.
The morning game will feature the Florin Athletic Club and Li’l Tokyo Giants at 10 a.m., and the afternoon game will feature a North vs. South All-Star Game at 2 p.m. with ballplayers outfitted in 1940s uniforms and using vintage gloves and equipment. The day will include music, performance art, site-specific art installation, guest speakers, and a participatory closing ceremony with Obon dancing.
This event marks the culmination of a multi-year effort led by Great Leap Artistic Director Nobuko Miyamoto and Manzanar Baseball Project Director Dan Kwong to bring Manzanar’s ballfield and the resilience and joy it exemplified to the forefront.
Kwong, whose mother and her family were incarcerated in Manzanar, had volunteered at the historic site for years. A 2022 archaeological report gave the green light to volunteers who had wanted to restore the baseball field for decades, and Kwong, whose love for baseball was well known, was the natural choice to lead the project.
“The project is a tribute to the spirit and determination of the Japanese American community, the power of baseball to uplift and unite people, and the importance of safe-guarding the rights and principles enshrined in the Constitution,” said Kwong, a Santa Monica-based performance artist, playwright, director and producer who plays baseball for the Li’l Tokio Giants in the Nisei Athletic Union.
Volunteers for the project came from all over California, but one of the most crucial came from right in Independence. Construction consultant Chris Siddens heard about the project and volunteered to serve as the project’s construction supervisor entirely free of charge.
“It’s really wonderful how the community has responded to this project,” Kwong said. “The field restoration has been a labor of love.”
Kwong and his team of volunteers had completed the field in 2024, but the federal government shutdown meant that they could not hold a grand opening celebration. The volunteers played a game on the field, but that would be the only baseball played on the field until now due to several roadblocks, including the devastating desert winds destroying portions of the field, which forced construction crews to reinforce everything with steel.
The Grand Opening Double-Header has been no small feat to plan, costing about $70,000, most of which has been donated. Major League Baseball teams in the west have contributed significantly, with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Seattle Mariners each donating $2,000. The Los Angeles Dodgers previously donated $1,500 in 2024.
In addition to the players, Kwong is asking that attendees come in period clothing — anything resembling 1940s attire — in order to help make the experience “emotional and powerful.”
While Morita remains pleased to play at Manzanar, he’s even more pleased that his Great Uncle Jim will be throwing out the first pitch.
“It feels incredibly special that my Great Uncle Jim will be there to throw out the ceremonial first pitch,” Morita said. “Knowing his history as a Manzanar camp survivor and ball player, it brings a sense of family pride and gravity to the event.”
For those unable to attend, the event will be livestreamed on You-Tube. A viewing party will also be held at the 18th Street Arts Center, 1639 18th St., Santa Monica.
Donations and volunteers are still being sought.
Note: In the event of extreme weather (high winds, lightning, etc.), the event will be canceled.
Register for limited seating: https://greatleap.networkforgood.com/events/105297-2026-grand-opening-doubleheader. Three tickets maximum per registration.
Donation requested: $15-$50 sliding scale. No one will be refused for lack of funds.
Visit the Manzanar Baseball Project’s website: mzbbp.org