Mr. Baseball

Mr. Baseball is a 1992 American comedy directed by Fred Schepisi, starring Tom Selleck, Ken Takakura, Dennis Haysbert, and Aya Takanashi. It depicts a tumultuous season in the career of veteran New York Yankees first baseman Jack Elliot, who is traded to the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central League during Spring Training, and forced to contend with overwhelming expectations and cultural differences during the Dragons run at the pennant.

Upon arrival in Japan, the arrogant Elliot clashes with the Japanese culture and the teams manager, and before long he alienates his new teammates. He believes the rules and management style of his new skipper, Uchiyama Ken Takakura, are ludicrous, and continues to do things his way, which leads his already dwindling performance to suffer even more. His only ally on the team is another American ballplayer, Max Hammer Dubois Dennis Haysbert, with whom he commiserates about his frustrations, but even Max becomes fed up with Jacks attitude and lack of respect for the game and his team. At the same time, Elliot develops a relationship with the beautiful Hiroko Aya Takanashi, who is, he later learns, Uchiyamas daughter.After one too many outbursts, including knocking out his interpreter during a brawl, Elliot is suspended from play. After meeting Hirokos family, including Uchiyama, Uchiyama admits to Jack that he hired him over the objections of management they wanted Pete Clifton from the Boston Red Sox and now his own career, not just Jacks, is in jeopardy. After hearing this, Elliot swallows his pride and admits his deficiencies. In a rare show of humility, he apologizes to the team in Japanese erroneously saying he wants to build a chopstick rather than a bridge of friendship and the team rallies around him and teaches him the value of sportsmanship and respect for hard work. Uchiyama lifts his suspension and begins to work with Elliot on improving his play. The reinvigorated Elliots enthusiasm for team play is contagious and the mediocre Dragons become contenders for the Central League pennant. In the process, he also utilizes a Japanese tradition of being able to tell off Uchiyama while intoxicated to convince him to encourage his players to be more aggressive and have a little fun. ........

Source: Wikipedia