Travis Ishikawa's Walk-Off NLCS Home Run Special to Japanese American Internment Camp Survivors

Travis Ishikawa will live on forever in San Francisco Giants history after his walk-off, three-run home run clinched the National League pennant and sent the team to its third World Series in five seasons

"It's a dream come true -- with all that I've been through in the past five years," he said after the game. "To not even know if I was going to be playing anymore or even be here this season, to be here right now -- it's special."

It's no secret that Ishikawa has had a tough year, but he hung on to baseball -- just like his ancestors did.

Ishikawa is in a small club of Japanese Americans in the Major Leagues, honing a sport that they once played to survive.

"I can remember playing baseball in camp quite a bit and traveling from one corner of the camp to another to play other teams in the camp," said Joe Yasutake, an internment camp survivor.

It was baseball that helped keep spirits up after Japanese Americans were ordered in 1942 by the U.S. government to be moved into internment camps.

Ishikawa's own paternal grandparents were sent to internment camps in Colorado.

Contact Us