In November 1928, following his final major league season as an active player, Ty Cobb, along with Bob Shawkey, Herb Hunter and umpire Ernie Quigley journeyed to Japan to play 12 exhibition games with the Daimai team. One member of the Daimai team who was a teammate of Cobb's on the Tour was Kazuo Takasu.

Takasu, born in 1897 in Kyoto, attended Keio University from 1918 to 1923, where he was a second baseman/left fielder. He then went to work for the Osaka Mainichi newspaper, where he starred on their baseball team. He also played for the Daimai team. From 1938 to 1940, he was manager of the Nankai team in Japan Pro Baseball. After an unsuccessful three years stint as Nankai manager, he went on to become a JPB umpire from 1941-1943. After that, the trail goes cold. We have read numerous Japanese publications which say that the authors have no idea as to what Mr. Takasu did after 1943, nor do they know when he died.

In this photo, signed in English, Takasu refers to himself as "Tiny K. Takasu". We have not been able to find any information as to his exact height and weight, but this nickname must have been bestowed on him by the 1928 U.S. tour party.

Autographed in blue fountain pen.

Size: 3 3/8" x 4 3/8"

Condition: Autograph--6.5 out of 10. Photo--Ex to Ex/Mt but has extra paper and glue on the back from having been previously attached to a photo album page.