Posted By:
Ryan ChristoffEiji Sawamura was 17 when he found himself on the mound, entering the 4th inning of a game against a ridiculous line-up of Major Leaguers who were touring Japan in 1934. He struck out 9 batters, many HOFers, over 5 innings, including Gehringer, Ruth, Gehrig, and Foxx IN A ROW!!! Gehrig homered to score the only run for either team as Sawamura lost 1-0.
In 1936 he pitched the first no-hitter in the history of Japanese professional baseball. He would throw 2 more no-hitters before his short career ended, leaving behind a lifetime ERA of 1.74.
After the 1943 season Sawamura enlisted in Japan's Imperial Navy. He was killed in action in the battle for the Ryukyu Islands when his ship was torpedoed near the end of World War II.
The Sawamura Award is Japan's equivalnt to our Cy Young award.
I'm sure this is the player this urban legend is about, however, there are no cards of Sawamura.
Even if the card did exist, it is extremely unlikely it would sell for anything close to the price of a T206 Wagner, although I would personally much rather have the Sawamura card.
-Ryan