‘Lefty O’Doul: Baseball’s Forgotten Ambassador’

Author Dennis Snelling talks about what O’Doul did to make baseball popular in Japan. O’Doul, a San Francisco native who played in Japan in 1931, brought Babe Ruth and others to Japan in 1934 and helped establish the team now known as the Yomiuri Giants. After World War II, Gen. Douglas MacArthur had O’Doul bring a team to Japan to help mend the relationship with the U.S. 6 p.m. Monday, July 10. Commonwealth Club, 555 Post St., San Francisco. $7-$20. (415) 597-6705, www.commonwealthclub.org