Kazuhiro Sasaki
Encyclopedia
Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki (佐々木 主浩 Sasaki Kazuhiro, born February 22, 1968 in Sendai City, Japan) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball
right-handed relief pitcher
. He played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales / Yokohama BayStars
(1990–1999; 2004–2005). Sasaki played his entire MLB career with the Seattle Mariners
(2000–2003).
, Sasaki was drafted with the seventh pick in the first round of the 1989 draft by the Yokohama Taiyō Whales (now named Yokohama BayStars
) in Japan's Central League
. He played for them from 1990–1999, before joining the Seattle Mariners
in 2000. He joined a bullpen that had been one of the worst in the Major Leagues, and during his rookie year won the closer job from a floundering Jose Mesa
. Sasaki's out pitch, a devastating split-fingered fastball that drops when arriving at home plate, was nicknamed "The Thang" by Mariners radio announcers. He complemented it with a four-seam fastball that could reach the low-90s. Sasaki maintained a rigorous throwing program, sometimes at odds with club management, that saw him throw up to 100 pitches following games in which he did not appear.
Sasaki's transition to American baseball began with his being named American League Rookie of the Year
. For three years, along with Jeff Nelson and Arthur Rhodes
, Sasaki was an integral member of the back of Seattle's bullpen. He decided to leave the Mariners before the last year of his contract in 2004, giving up $8.5 million, citing his desire to be with his family in Japan. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
, however, Sasaki's real reason for returning to Japan was pressure from ownership, due to his "indiscreet philandering".http://www.seattlepi.com/thiel/276783_thiel07.html
Sasaki resumed his career with the BayStars upon returning to Japan, where he pitched for another year. But in his second year back, nagging knee and elbow injuries resulted in his release from Yokohama and subsequent retirement. His last official appearance came as a cameo against the Tokyo Giants
on August 9, 2005, as he struck out his longtime friend and rival Kazuhiro Kiyohara
in a game played at Fullcast Stadium Miyagi
in his hometown.
In addition to his Rookie of the Year award, Sasaki set several Japanese professional baseball records, including saves (45) and save opportunities (46) for a single season in 1998; he was twice selected to play in the All-Star game
, and was selected to eight All-Star teams in Japan. Sasaki's 37 saves in his rookie season with the Seattle Mariners
remained a Major League Baseball record for saves by a rookie until Neftali Feliz broke it in 2010 with 40.
Kaori Shimizu
. Together they had two children.
After returning to Japan in 2005, Sasaki continued his affair with actress Kanako Enomoto
, who was thirteen years his junior. When Enomoto became pregnant, Shimizu divorced Sasaki on March 18, 2005. Enomoto would birth prematurely on April 29, 2005,http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/face/archive/news/2005/20050603p2g00m0dm002000c.html and the affair has caused the popularity of Sasaki and Enomoto to drop considerably.
Sasaki's interest in sports extend outside baseball. In 2002 and 2003, he lent his name and his pocketbook to Formula Nippon
, an auto racing
series in Japan. His Team 22 won two races in that time. He is known to wear a half sleeved shirt no matter what the weather is. He has also appeared as a judge on the Iron Chef
television program.
He had a side recording career, with an album of his vocals over techno beats.
He chose 22 for his uniform number, because he was born at 2:22 on February 22 (2/22). The BayStars have permanently honored his number.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. He played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales / Yokohama BayStars
Yokohama BayStars
The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Home field is the Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The clubhouse is located near the stadium....
(1990–1999; 2004–2005). Sasaki played his entire MLB career with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
(2000–2003).
Professional career
After playing college baseball for Tohoku Fukushi UniversityTohoku Fukushi University
is a Japanese private university in Sendai.-Sports:*Baseball**Mamoru Kishida**Takashi Saito**Kazuhiro Sasaki**Kazuhiro Wada**Ken Kadokura**Tomoaki Kanemoto*Figure skating**Akiko Suzuki*Golf**Hidemasa Hoshino**Yūsaku Miyazato**Hideto Tanihara...
, Sasaki was drafted with the seventh pick in the first round of the 1989 draft by the Yokohama Taiyō Whales (now named Yokohama BayStars
Yokohama BayStars
The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Home field is the Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The clubhouse is located near the stadium....
) in Japan's Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
. He played for them from 1990–1999, before joining the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in 2000. He joined a bullpen that had been one of the worst in the Major Leagues, and during his rookie year won the closer job from a floundering Jose Mesa
José Mesa
José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....
. Sasaki's out pitch, a devastating split-fingered fastball that drops when arriving at home plate, was nicknamed "The Thang" by Mariners radio announcers. He complemented it with a four-seam fastball that could reach the low-90s. Sasaki maintained a rigorous throwing program, sometimes at odds with club management, that saw him throw up to 100 pitches following games in which he did not appear.
Sasaki's transition to American baseball began with his being named American League Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
. For three years, along with Jeff Nelson and Arthur Rhodes
Arthur Rhodes
Arthur Lee Rhodes, Jr. is a Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher.-Career:Rhodes played high school baseball at La Vega High School in Waco, Texas. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2nd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft.Rhodes made his MLB debut with the Orioles...
, Sasaki was an integral member of the back of Seattle's bullpen. He decided to leave the Mariners before the last year of his contract in 2004, giving up $8.5 million, citing his desire to be with his family in Japan. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, however, Sasaki's real reason for returning to Japan was pressure from ownership, due to his "indiscreet philandering".http://www.seattlepi.com/thiel/276783_thiel07.html
Sasaki resumed his career with the BayStars upon returning to Japan, where he pitched for another year. But in his second year back, nagging knee and elbow injuries resulted in his release from Yokohama and subsequent retirement. His last official appearance came as a cameo against the Tokyo Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
on August 9, 2005, as he struck out his longtime friend and rival Kazuhiro Kiyohara
Kazuhiro Kiyohara
is a former professional baseball player in Japan, having played in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league for 23 seasons. He retired following the 2008 season.-Biography:...
in a game played at Fullcast Stadium Miyagi
Fullcast Stadium Miyagi
The is a stadium in Sendai, Japan. It is primarily used for baseball as the home field of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. It opened in 1950. In order to modernize the facility for the Golden Eagles' first season , seating was reduced from approximately 28,600 to about 20,000, as more-spacious...
in his hometown.
In addition to his Rookie of the Year award, Sasaki set several Japanese professional baseball records, including saves (45) and save opportunities (46) for a single season in 1998; he was twice selected to play in the All-Star game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, and was selected to eight All-Star teams in Japan. Sasaki's 37 saves in his rookie season with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
remained a Major League Baseball record for saves by a rookie until Neftali Feliz broke it in 2010 with 40.
Career statistics
| Games | Innings | W | L | Saves | Strikeouts | ERA | |
| Japan League | 439 | 627⅔ | 43 | 38 | 252 | 851 | 2.41 |
| Major League | 228 | 223⅓ | 7 | 16 | 129 | 242 | 3.14 |
Personal life
In 1991, he married former idol singerJapanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
Kaori Shimizu
Kaori Shimizu (idol)
is a Japanese idol notable for doing the voice and theme song to the video game Psycho Soldier, the first video game with a vocal soundtrack. In 1991 she retired from show business to marry baseball player Kazuhiro Sasaki. They had a son and daughter together...
. Together they had two children.
After returning to Japan in 2005, Sasaki continued his affair with actress Kanako Enomoto
Kanako Enomoto
Kanako Enomoto is a Japanese actress and model.-Biography:Kanako first attracted public attention at age 12 when she was selected the Astel phone company's spokesmodel. By 14, she had become one of the many "J-Idol" girls with the publication of her first photobook, "Fourteen"...
, who was thirteen years his junior. When Enomoto became pregnant, Shimizu divorced Sasaki on March 18, 2005. Enomoto would birth prematurely on April 29, 2005,http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/face/archive/news/2005/20050603p2g00m0dm002000c.html and the affair has caused the popularity of Sasaki and Enomoto to drop considerably.
Sasaki's interest in sports extend outside baseball. In 2002 and 2003, he lent his name and his pocketbook to Formula Nippon
Formula Nippon
Formula Nippon is a type of formula racing and the top level of single-seater racing in Japan.Formula Nippon evolved from the Japanese Formula 2000 series begun in 1973 by way of the Japanese Formula Two and Japanese Formula 3000 championships...
, an auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
series in Japan. His Team 22 won two races in that time. He is known to wear a half sleeved shirt no matter what the weather is. He has also appeared as a judge on the Iron Chef
Iron Chef
is a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1992, is a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle built around a specific theme ingredient. The series ended...
television program.
He had a side recording career, with an album of his vocals over techno beats.
He chose 22 for his uniform number, because he was born at 2:22 on February 22 (2/22). The BayStars have permanently honored his number.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders
- Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award