Were Japanese-Americans allowed to play in Major League Baseball between 1920-1940?

Answer 1

I would say that would be possible because Connie Mack, who was the general head coach of 1934 Major League all-star team when they played 16 games in Japan, recommend Team Japan's head coach Sotaro Suzuki to send a Japanese player to U.S. when he saw the 17-year-old boy, Eiji Sawamura struck out Charlie Gehringer, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx in a row. (9 struck-out, 5 hits(1 home run by Gehrig))I assume that what Connie Mack meant was sending him minor league as even Joe DiMaggio or Gehrig was from minors; but it is possible to say Connie Mack did not think being Japanese was a problem.

In 1935, when Tokyo Baseball Club visit U.S. by great support by Francis O'Doul, Pittsburg Pirates tried to have Sawamura make a contract with them by pretending to be a baseball fan who want his autograph before the game against Milwaukee Redsox on June 19th(It's a fraud lol Must have been in big trouble with Francis O'Doul and Tokyo Baseball Club). That was during the time the team had a great success that they won 75 games out of 105 against semi-pro teams.

Anyway probably it is possible: Japanese-American players were allowed to play in the Major League between 1920-40.

I am not sure but I found a website that says two other Japanese players Masao Date, 伊達正男, and Takeo Tabe, 田部武男, were also offered to come to U.S. according to their relevant people. I guess that other people around the players did not want them to play in U.S. as they had just launched first professional team, Tokyo Baseball Club, later Tokyo Giants.