Reader Jim Gallagher from New Jersey wrote, "I was watching on TV (Kenji) Johjima catching for the Seattle Mariners and wondered if there has ever been a gaikokujin catcher to play in Japan. I can't think of one. Is this the last barrier to be broken?"
There was an American catcher who played in Japan prior to World War II named "Bucky" Harris McGalliard and a few foreign catchers in the 1950s and '60s after Japanese baseball was revived following World War II and the two-league system formed.
Among them were Charlie Hood, who caught 25 games for the 1953 Mainichi Orions, Charlie Lewis in 265 games with the Orions in 1954-55, and Sal Recca behind the plate in 200 games for the Tombow Unions in 1954-55.