'Thank you Kaye San': Last surviving member of Vancouver Asahi baseball team dies at 102

Kaye Kaminishi (1922-2024), the last surviving member of the Vancouver Asahi baseball team, is seen in this image. (Courtesy: Asahi Baseball Association)

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

Kaminishi carried on the legacy of the trailblazing baseball team that broke down barriers for Japanese-Canadians in the first half of the 20th century, most recently on Sept. 2, when he attended a special 10th anniversary game celebrating the modern-day revival of the team as a youth program.

“His inspirational advice and motivational speeches will remain in the hearts of all our players and coaches,” the Asahi Baseball Association wrote in a statement.

The Vancouver Asahi club played at Oppenheimer Park from 1914 to 1941, picking up several championship titles along the way. Kaminishi joined the team in 1939 as an infielder and quickly earned a reputation as a reliable defender and speedy baserunner who used his expert bunting skills to beguile opposing pitchers.

His time on the squad would be cut short when the federal government forced thousands of Japanese-Canadians into internment camps for the duration of the Second World War. The Vancouver Asahi would never play together again.

In a 2019 Heritage Minute about the team, which Kaminishi narrated, he said it was baseball that got him through his years in a camp near Lillooet.

He also said the sport was the secret to his longevity.

“Baseball. Play baseball. Everybody play baseball and have fun,” he told CTV News at his 100th birthday party.

“Despite harsh the discriminatory treatment by society and the government of 1940s, Kaye carried himself with dignity, poise and restraint,” the association continued.

“Kaye always believed in playing with honor, respect, loyalty and sportsmanship. Virtues that we should all live by,” the tribute reads. “Thank you Kaye San.”

The Asahi were inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 and the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, and earlier this year, the city declared Jan. 11 “Vancouver Asahi Day” on Kaminishi’s 102nd birthday.

“Kaye was a symbol of resilience, determination, and the unbreakable spirit of Vancouver’s Japanese Canadian community,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim wrote in a statement Tuesday.

“I am incredibly proud to have known Kaye. He was more than just a sports icon – he was a Vancouver legend. Humble, courageous and a constant source of inspiration, he will forever hold a special place in our city’s heart.”

Kaminishi is survived by his daughter Joyce and son Ed.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Miljure