Yuki Saito (baseball)
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
pitcher
for Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
.
Saito rose to national stardom as a senior
for Waseda Jitsugyo High School when he led the team to a title in the 88th National High School Baseball Championship
in . He was given the nickname by the Japanese media
for his use of a handkerchief
to wipe sweat from his face while on the mound and is also often referred to as .
, a town in Gunma Prefecture
that has since been incorporated into the larger city of Ota
. He began playing baseball
in the first grade, following in the footsteps of his older brother, who as team captain
would later lead Kiryu
High School to the semi-finals of the regional Gunma Tournament of the National High School Baseball Championship.
Saito's desire to play in the national baseball tournaments
held at Koshien Stadium
was sparked when he went to the stadium to see Kiryu Commercial High School
, the Gunma champions, play in the summer tournament
in 2002. He considered enrolling in Kiryu High School like his brother, but opted to apply at a school with a stronger baseball reputation so that he could play at a higher level.
, choosing to live in Tokyo
with his brother. He earned a spot on the team's bench in his first year and was assigned the uniform number 1 (which denotes a high school
team's ace pitcher
in Japan) by the summer of his second
. However, while he managed to take his team to the semi-finals of the West Tokyo Tournament that summer, he gave up three home run
s in the match against Nihon University
Third Senior High School in a humiliating mercy-rule loss.
Saito's team faced Nihon University Third High again just months later in the semi-finals of the regional tournament held that fall. This time, Saito pitched a complete game
shutout and went on to win in the finals as well. That November, he led his team to the semi-finals of the 36th Meiji Jingu Tournament, securing Waseda Jitsugyo High a berth in the 78th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament
that would be held the following spring.
In the spring of 2006, pitching in a national tournament for the first time, Saito took the mound against Kanzei High School of Okayama
, going the distance in a grueling match that ended in a tie after fifteen innings as per tournament regulations as well as the rematch that ensued the very next day, eventually leading his team to the win (though it lost to Yokohama Senior High School in the quarter-finals).
to earn a spot in the 88th National High School Baseball Championship in 2006. Saito started
and held the opposing team to under three runs
in every game in the national tournament, even contributing with his bat
by hitting a home run in the third-round match against Fukui
Commercial High School and leading the school to their first appearance in the national championship finals in 26 years.
The finals against Komazawa University Tomakomai High School (the South Hokkaido
champions) became a classic pitchers' duel between Saito and Tomakomai High's ace pitcher Masahiro Tanaka
(who currently plays for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
). The game remained tied 1-1 after fifteen innings, resulting in the first rematch in the tournament finals since Matsuyama
Commercial High School and Misawa
High School met in . Saito insisted on starting in the rematch that took place the next day, holding Tomakomai High to three runs and striking out
Tanaka, the final batter, to bring Waseda Jitsugyo High the school's first-ever national championship.
The 69 innings
and 948 total pitches that Saito threw were the most in tournament history (he pitched 42 innings in the last four days alone). The 78 strikeouts he recorded were second only to then-Tokushima
Commercial High School ace Eiji Bando's
83 in 1958.
Later, the name stuck after Masahiro Tanaka told media that that was what he called Saito during the U.S.-Japan High School Baseball Tournament that was held following the national championship. (Saito and Tanaka were both chosen to play for the Japanese team in the tournament, organized by the Japanese Educational Resource Center in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy
.) The suffix "-chan" is often attached to names to express affection for that person in Japanese
; the nickname is similar in nature to Tanaka's own nickname, .
that would be held in the fall, his sensational performance and sudden popularity caused much speculation regarding his decision (particularly by the media). On September 11, he held a press conference in front of more than 150 reporters and announced that he would not be declaring for the draft, opting to go to college instead.
In the Nojigiku Hyogo
National Sports Festival
, the final tournament of his high school career, Saito faced Tomakomai High in the finals in a rematch of the national championship held in the summer, pitching a complete game shutout and defeating them one last time.
as a sociology
major
, pitching in the opener of the spring season
of the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League
against the University of Tokyo
on April 14. He threw six shutout innings, striking out eight and allowing just one hit and earning the first win
of his college career. He earned the trust of head coach
Atsuyoshi Otake and was sent to the mound in the crucial second game of series several times, including the pivotal game against arch-rival Keio University
on June 3 that clinched their second consecutive league title. Saito finished the season with a 4-0 record and a 1.65 ERA
, starting four games and closing out
two others in situations that would be recorded as saves in professional
leagues (there are no official saves in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League). He was chosen to the league's Best Nine, the first time a freshman pitcher had ever won the award in the spring season, and was also named the league Most Valuable Player
in online fan voting.
That June, Saito took the mound as Waseda's ace in the second-round match, semi-finals, and finals of the 56th All-Japan University Baseball Championship Series, earning wins in the latter two games and leading the school to their first national championship in 33 years. Saito was also named the tournament MVP for his efforts.
A month later, in July 2007, Saito was chosen to play for Japan in the 36th Japan-USA University Baseball Championship Series. He started in Game 3 of the series and came away with the win, becoming the first freshman to play for Japan to earn a win in the history of the tournament. However, he could not find his location in Game 5 after coming on in relief
, ultimately being charged with the loss. After the game, he commented to the American media, "There's a part of me that would like to play in the majors after experiencing professional baseball in Japan once."
Saito took the mound for the fall season opener as well, becoming the first pitcher in 80 years to start and win the opener of both the spring and fall seasons as a freshman (then-Keio pitcher Saburo Miyatake accomplished the feat in 1927). He pitched the first complete game
of his college career in the fourth game against Hosei University
on September 25 and topped the effort with a 15-strikeout (a personal high) complete game shutout in the rubber game
against Keio on October 30, becoming the winning pitcher in the title-clinching game for Waseda for the second consecutive season. He finished the season with a 4-0 record and an 0.78 ERA in 57⅔ innings, leading the league in wins and ERA and winning both the Best Nine and Most Valuable Player (as chosen by the fans) awards a second time.
In the 38th Meiji Jingu Tournament that followed, he started all three games, leading Waseda to a match-up with Toyo University
in the tournament finals on November 14. However, though he pitched six shutout frames and matched Toyo's ace (and current Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
pitcher) Shota Ohba inning for inning, the bullpen gave up the go-ahead run after Saito left the game and Waseda fell just short of the tournament championship.
, Saito was hit in the right thigh by a sharp come-backer (a line drive right back to the pitcher), forcing him to leave the game. Waseda went on to lose the game (the loss being charged to Saito), diminishing their chances of winning the league title. In his next game against Keio on June 1, Saito gave up two home runs, losing consecutive starts for the first time in his college career. It was also the first time he gave up multiple home runs in a game since the National High School Baseball Championship finals in 2006. Saito finished the season at just 3-2, relinquishing Waseda's stronghold on the league title to Meiji.
Saito spent much of the summer overseas, playing in the IBAF
World University Baseball Championship
in the Czech Republic
and taking part in a tour of Brazil
with the rest of the Waseda team. He placed a greater emphasis on running in his workouts.
Just how effective Saito's effort to build stamina during the summer would be quickly became evident during the fall season. In one particular stretch from October 11 to October 20, Saito started five of the seven games Waseda played against Hosei and Meiji, going 3-1 and throwing 525 pitches in a 10-day span. Saito held Keio to one run over seven innings in the title clincher on November 1, marking already the third time in his college career that he had pitched in a title-clinching game. He followed the performance up with another win over Keio two days later, finishing the season with a league-leading (and personal-best) 7-1 record and notching at least one win against each of the five other teams in the league (Tokyo, Hosei, Meiji, Keio, and Rikkio
), earning him his third selection to the Best Nine Award.
, three walks
and three hit-batters
en route to a 8-4 loss. He rebounded with a stellar outing against Rikkio on May 2, striking out 12 and allowing just two hits over eight shutout innings in a 3-0 victory.
pitcher Koji Uehara
. He has excellent command and can locate his pitches
to both sides of the plate, throwing an average four-seam fastball
that usually sits 138 to 145 km/h (85.7 to 90.1 mph) and tops out at 150 km/h (93 mph) but complementing it with a two-seam fastball
sits 135 to 142 km/h (83.9 to 88.2 mph) as well as a wide assortment of offspeed pitches. His go-to pitches are a tight slider
with late movement and a forkball
, but he also been known to throw a curveball
and changeup
. Saito has said that he is trying a new grip on his changeup for the Spring 2009 season and that increasing the velocity of his fastball has been one of his ongoing goals.
Despite having a somewhat small frame at 176 cm (69.3 in) and 76 kg (167.6 lb), Saito has excellent stamina
, throwing 231 pitches in the second-round match against Kanzei High School in the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament, 221 pitches in the finals of the West Tokyo Tournament, and 178 in the finals of the National High School Baseball Championship in his senior year of high school.
Saito was dubbed "the second coming of Daisuke Araki" during his high school years (particularly before he won the national championship and became more associated with his other nicknames) for the similarities in their playing styles. Araki, a fellow alumnus of Waseda Jitsugyo High, pitched in five consecutive national tournaments during his high school career before going on to play for the Yakult Swallows
and Yokohama BayStars
.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at the Sapporo Dome. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō,...
.
Saito rose to national stardom as a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
for Waseda Jitsugyo High School when he led the team to a title in the 88th National High School Baseball Championship
National High School Baseball Championship
The National High School Baseball Championship of Japan, commonly known as "Summer Kōshien" , is an annual nationwide high school baseball tournament...
in . He was given the nickname by the Japanese media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
for his use of a handkerchief
Handkerchief
A handkerchief , also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
to wipe sweat from his face while on the mound and is also often referred to as .
Early life
Saito was born in NittaNitta, Gunma
Nitta was a town located in Nitta District, Gunma, Japan.On March 28, 2005 Nitta, along with the towns of Ojima and Yabuzukahon, all from Nitta District, was merged into the expanded city of Ōta....
, a town in Gunma Prefecture
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
that has since been incorporated into the larger city of Ota
Ota, Gunma
is a city 50 miles northwest of Tokyo, in eastern Gunma prefecture, Japan. This city is located between the Tone and Watarase rivers. As a result, the new city reached a total population of 219,789, making it the third most populous city in Gunma....
. He began playing baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in the first grade, following in the footsteps of his older brother, who as team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
would later lead Kiryu
Kiryu, Gunma
is a city in Gunma, Japan, near the cities of Ōta and Ashikaga. Incorporated on March 1, 1921, Kiryū is considered both a city and part of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area, although it is still widely thought of as a rural area...
High School to the semi-finals of the regional Gunma Tournament of the National High School Baseball Championship.
Saito's desire to play in the national baseball tournaments
High school baseball in Japan
In Japan, high school baseball generally refers to the two annual baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan...
held at Koshien Stadium
Koshien Stadium
is a baseball park located near Kobe in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The stadium was built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, and opened on April 1, 1924. It was the largest stadium in Asia at the time it was completed, with a capacity of 55,000.The name Kōshien comes...
was sparked when he went to the stadium to see Kiryu Commercial High School
Commercial high school (Japan)
A , called or shōgyō for short, is a Japanese high school which concentrates more on the teaching of business and commerce knowledge and skills rather than the college preparatory courses taught in most Japanese high schools. Most students who graduate from a commercial high school directly enter...
, the Gunma champions, play in the summer tournament
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
in 2002. He considered enrolling in Kiryu High School like his brother, but opted to apply at a school with a stronger baseball reputation so that he could play at a higher level.
High school career
In 2004, Saito left his home in Gunma to attend Waseda Jitsugyo High School, a private affiliate school of Waseda UniversityWaseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
, choosing to live in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
with his brother. He earned a spot on the team's bench in his first year and was assigned the uniform number 1 (which denotes a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
team's ace pitcher
Ace (baseball)
In baseball, an ace is the best starting pitcher of any team and nearly always the first pitcher in his starting rotation. Barring injury or exceptional circumstances, an ace usually always starts on Opening Day...
in Japan) by the summer of his second
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...
. However, while he managed to take his team to the semi-finals of the West Tokyo Tournament that summer, he gave up three home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in the match against Nihon University
Nihon University
Nihon University is the largest university in Japan. Akiyoshi Yamada, the minister of justice, founded Nihon Law School in October 1889....
Third Senior High School in a humiliating mercy-rule loss.
Saito's team faced Nihon University Third High again just months later in the semi-finals of the regional tournament held that fall. This time, Saito pitched a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
shutout and went on to win in the finals as well. That November, he led his team to the semi-finals of the 36th Meiji Jingu Tournament, securing Waseda Jitsugyo High a berth in the 78th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament
National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament
The National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament of Japan, commonly known as "Spring Kōshien" or "Senbatsu" , is an annual high school baseball tournament....
that would be held the following spring.
In the spring of 2006, pitching in a national tournament for the first time, Saito took the mound against Kanzei High School of Okayama
Okayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
, going the distance in a grueling match that ended in a tie after fifteen innings as per tournament regulations as well as the rematch that ensued the very next day, eventually leading his team to the win (though it lost to Yokohama Senior High School in the quarter-finals).
National championship
That summer, he faced Nihon University Third High yet again in the finals of the West Tokyo Tournament, defeating them in extra inningsExtra innings
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine innings , each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat...
to earn a spot in the 88th National High School Baseball Championship in 2006. Saito started
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
and held the opposing team to under three runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in every game in the national tournament, even contributing with his bat
Batting (baseball)
In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher...
by hitting a home run in the third-round match against Fukui
Fukui, Fukui
is the capital of Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The city is located in the north-central part of the prefecture on the coast of the Sea of Japan.-Demographics:...
Commercial High School and leading the school to their first appearance in the national championship finals in 26 years.
The finals against Komazawa University Tomakomai High School (the South Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
champions) became a classic pitchers' duel between Saito and Tomakomai High's ace pitcher Masahiro Tanaka
Masahiro Tanaka
is a Japanese starting pitcher for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.Tanaka led his team to a championship in the National High School Baseball tournament as a junior for Komazawa University Tomakomai High School in and a runner-up berth in the same tournament as a senior in...
(who currently plays for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
). The game remained tied 1-1 after fifteen innings, resulting in the first rematch in the tournament finals since Matsuyama
Matsuyama, Ehime
is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. Its name means "pine mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....
Commercial High School and Misawa
Misawa, Aomori
is a city located in eastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 42,399 and a density of 353 persons per km²...
High School met in . Saito insisted on starting in the rematch that took place the next day, holding Tomakomai High to three runs and striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
Tanaka, the final batter, to bring Waseda Jitsugyo High the school's first-ever national championship.
The 69 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
and 948 total pitches that Saito threw were the most in tournament history (he pitched 42 innings in the last four days alone). The 78 strikeouts he recorded were second only to then-Tokushima
Tokushima, Tokushima
is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 263,372, with 114,325 households, and a population density of 1,377.25 persons per km². Its total area is 191.23 km²....
Commercial High School ace Eiji Bando's
Eiji Bando
is a Japanese television entertainer and former baseball player. He pitched many innings in his high school career. The Japan High School Baseball Federation were afraid that he would injured his arm, so they set a new rematch rule in 1958. However, he pitched 18 innings in a 1958 quarterfinal...
83 in 1958.
The Handkerchief Prince
As the tournament, various media outlets took a strong liking to Saito's custom of using a blue handkerchief that he kept folded in his pocket to wipe sweat from his face. This, combined with his handsome visage, led to his being dubbed the .Later, the name stuck after Masahiro Tanaka told media that that was what he called Saito during the U.S.-Japan High School Baseball Tournament that was held following the national championship. (Saito and Tanaka were both chosen to play for the Japanese team in the tournament, organized by the Japanese Educational Resource Center in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy
Major League Baseball Academy
The Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy is a youth baseball academy located in Compton, California providing free baseball and softball instruction to Southern California youth, ages 8–17....
.) The suffix "-chan" is often attached to names to express affection for that person in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
; the nickname is similar in nature to Tanaka's own nickname, .
Aftermath of tournament
Though it had been reported even prior to the tournament that Saito planned on proceeding to college upon completing high school rather than declaring for the NPB amateur draftDraft (sports)
A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...
that would be held in the fall, his sensational performance and sudden popularity caused much speculation regarding his decision (particularly by the media). On September 11, he held a press conference in front of more than 150 reporters and announced that he would not be declaring for the draft, opting to go to college instead.
In the Nojigiku Hyogo
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
National Sports Festival
National Sports Festival of Japan
is the national premier sports event of Japan. The abbreviated name is Kokutai . The 65th National Sports Festival of Japan was held in October 2010 in Chiba Prefecture.- Emperor's Cup and Empress Cup Champions :...
, the final tournament of his high school career, Saito faced Tomakomai High in the finals in a rematch of the national championship held in the summer, pitching a complete game shutout and defeating them one last time.
2007
In 2007, Saito enrolled in Waseda UniversityWaseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
as a sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
major
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
, pitching in the opener of the spring season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
of the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League
Tokyo Big6 Baseball League
Tokyo Big6 Baseball League is an intercollegiate baseball league that features six prominent universities in the Tokyo area...
against the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
on April 14. He threw six shutout innings, striking out eight and allowing just one hit and earning the first win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
of his college career. He earned the trust of head coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
Atsuyoshi Otake and was sent to the mound in the crucial second game of series several times, including the pivotal game against arch-rival Keio University
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
on June 3 that clinched their second consecutive league title. Saito finished the season with a 4-0 record and a 1.65 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, starting four games and closing out
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
two others in situations that would be recorded as saves in professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
leagues (there are no official saves in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League). He was chosen to the league's Best Nine, the first time a freshman pitcher had ever won the award in the spring season, and was also named the league Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
in online fan voting.
That June, Saito took the mound as Waseda's ace in the second-round match, semi-finals, and finals of the 56th All-Japan University Baseball Championship Series, earning wins in the latter two games and leading the school to their first national championship in 33 years. Saito was also named the tournament MVP for his efforts.
A month later, in July 2007, Saito was chosen to play for Japan in the 36th Japan-USA University Baseball Championship Series. He started in Game 3 of the series and came away with the win, becoming the first freshman to play for Japan to earn a win in the history of the tournament. However, he could not find his location in Game 5 after coming on in relief
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...
, ultimately being charged with the loss. After the game, he commented to the American media, "There's a part of me that would like to play in the majors after experiencing professional baseball in Japan once."
Saito took the mound for the fall season opener as well, becoming the first pitcher in 80 years to start and win the opener of both the spring and fall seasons as a freshman (then-Keio pitcher Saburo Miyatake accomplished the feat in 1927). He pitched the first complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
of his college career in the fourth game against Hosei University
Hosei University
is a private university based in Tokyo, Japan.The university originated in a school of law, Tōkyō Hōgakusha , established in 1880, and the following year renamed Tōkyō Hōgakkō . This was from 1883 headed by Dr. Gustave Emile Boissonade, and was heavily influenced by the French legal tradition...
on September 25 and topped the effort with a 15-strikeout (a personal high) complete game shutout in the rubber game
Rubber match
According to Paul Dickson's The New Dickson's Baseball Dictionary , a "rubber game" is "The last and deciding game of a series when the previous games have been split; e.g., the seventh game of the World Series." This tie-breaking sense of "rubber" apparently originated in the English game of...
against Keio on October 30, becoming the winning pitcher in the title-clinching game for Waseda for the second consecutive season. He finished the season with a 4-0 record and an 0.78 ERA in 57⅔ innings, leading the league in wins and ERA and winning both the Best Nine and Most Valuable Player (as chosen by the fans) awards a second time.
In the 38th Meiji Jingu Tournament that followed, he started all three games, leading Waseda to a match-up with Toyo University
Toyo University
Toyo University is a university with several branches in Japan, including .- Overview :...
in the tournament finals on November 14. However, though he pitched six shutout frames and matched Toyo's ace (and current Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
pitcher) Shota Ohba inning for inning, the bullpen gave up the go-ahead run after Saito left the game and Waseda fell just short of the tournament championship.
2008
Going into the spring 2008 season, Saito vowed to win five games and lead to Waseda to a fourth consecutive league title. However, the spring season turned out to be a frustrating experience for Saito. In a May 19 start against Meiji UniversityMeiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
, Saito was hit in the right thigh by a sharp come-backer (a line drive right back to the pitcher), forcing him to leave the game. Waseda went on to lose the game (the loss being charged to Saito), diminishing their chances of winning the league title. In his next game against Keio on June 1, Saito gave up two home runs, losing consecutive starts for the first time in his college career. It was also the first time he gave up multiple home runs in a game since the National High School Baseball Championship finals in 2006. Saito finished the season at just 3-2, relinquishing Waseda's stronghold on the league title to Meiji.
Saito spent much of the summer overseas, playing in the IBAF
International Baseball Federation
The International Baseball Federation is the worldwide governing body recognized by the International Olympic Committee as overseeing, deciding and executing the policy of the bat-and-ball sport of baseball at the international level...
World University Baseball Championship
World University Baseball Championship
The World University Baseball Championship is an under-23 international college baseball competition sponsored by the International University Sports Federation and sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 2002 in Italy...
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and taking part in a tour of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
with the rest of the Waseda team. He placed a greater emphasis on running in his workouts.
Just how effective Saito's effort to build stamina during the summer would be quickly became evident during the fall season. In one particular stretch from October 11 to October 20, Saito started five of the seven games Waseda played against Hosei and Meiji, going 3-1 and throwing 525 pitches in a 10-day span. Saito held Keio to one run over seven innings in the title clincher on November 1, marking already the third time in his college career that he had pitched in a title-clinching game. He followed the performance up with another win over Keio two days later, finishing the season with a league-leading (and personal-best) 7-1 record and notching at least one win against each of the five other teams in the league (Tokyo, Hosei, Meiji, Keio, and Rikkio
Rikkyo University
, also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, based on Christian precepts, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. There is a suburban campus in Niiza in nearby Saitama.It is known for its liberal climate symbolized by the motto -History:...
), earning him his third selection to the Best Nine Award.
2009
Saito started the spring 2009 season off well, pitching seven shutout innings while striking out 10 and allowing just three hits in a resounding 11-0 victory over the University of Tokyo in the season opener held April 11. However, he had one of the worst outings of his career against Hosei University on April 28, lasting just four innings and giving up six runs (the most in his college career thus far) on six hitsHit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, three walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and three hit-batters
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
en route to a 8-4 loss. He rebounded with a stellar outing against Rikkio on May 2, striking out 12 and allowing just two hits over eight shutout innings in a 3-0 victory.
Pitching style
Saito is a right-handed pitcher with a compact overhand delivery that has drawn comparisons to that of current Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
pitcher Koji Uehara
Koji Uehara
is a Major League Baseball Japanese right-handed relief pitcher. He is currently a relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Uehara throws a high-80s four-seam fastball and a solid forkball as his primary pitches...
. He has excellent command and can locate his pitches
Pitch (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...
to both sides of the plate, throwing an average four-seam fastball
Four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family...
that usually sits 138 to 145 km/h (85.7 to 90.1 mph) and tops out at 150 km/h (93 mph) but complementing it with a two-seam fastball
Two-seam fastball
A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball, but the general movement of a screwball...
sits 135 to 142 km/h (83.9 to 88.2 mph) as well as a wide assortment of offspeed pitches. His go-to pitches are a tight slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
with late movement and a forkball
Forkball
The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-fingered fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard snapping the wrist....
, but he also been known to throw a curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
and changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
. Saito has said that he is trying a new grip on his changeup for the Spring 2009 season and that increasing the velocity of his fastball has been one of his ongoing goals.
Despite having a somewhat small frame at 176 cm (69.3 in) and 76 kg (167.6 lb), Saito has excellent stamina
Endurance
Endurance is the ability for a human or animal to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise...
, throwing 231 pitches in the second-round match against Kanzei High School in the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament, 221 pitches in the finals of the West Tokyo Tournament, and 178 in the finals of the National High School Baseball Championship in his senior year of high school.
Saito was dubbed "the second coming of Daisuke Araki" during his high school years (particularly before he won the national championship and became more associated with his other nicknames) for the similarities in their playing styles. Araki, a fellow alumnus of Waseda Jitsugyo High, pitched in five consecutive national tournaments during his high school career before going on to play for the Yakult Swallows
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
is a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League.The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, the Yakult Corporation. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei...
and 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....
.