Beyond the Dugout: A Discussion with Japanese American Staff at the Los Angeles Dodgers

This dynamic conversation featured World Series Champion Dave Roberts (Team Manager), Stephen Nelson (Play-by-play Broadcaster), Scott Akasaki (Senior Director of Team Travel), Emilee Fragapane (Director of Integrative Baseball Performance), and Will Ireton (Manager of Performance Operations)-all current Los Angeles Dodgers staff members who hold prominent positions for the historic and pioneering professional baseball franchise. They explored what it means to be a Japanese American in a non-traditional career field and how their background influences and shapes their work.
Presented on July 29, 2023 at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum by the Japanese American National Museum.
Read interviews with some of the panelists on JANM’s Discover Nikkei website:
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[@randomname3715]

Nice to see people who earned their spots and didn't demand representation

[@afutitiafu]

My question for the Panel is that if Japan meets USA in the World Baseball finals again Who will you want to win.

[@danalawton2986]

Baseball in Japan is 2nd only to Sumo Wrestling in a cultural sports sense.

[@King-th9xk]

This guy Will Ireton, He had a big job to translate Shohei’s long waited, watched by all over the world conference today. Yet he seems like wasn’t well prepared to comunícate with Shohei ahead of the time, didn’t have capacity to translate the details how Shohei’s expressed in Japanese. His statement could have received closer to how Shohei expressed with his emotion.

[@danalawton2986]

Will is "well rounded" and can fit in, in any circumstance, Emily however, lacks a certain amount of self awareness.

[@SuperPhamicom]

Emily is a BOSS. I vehemently disagree with you, sir