When Roki Sasaki makes his Los Angeles Dodgers debut this week, the pitcher would dedicate it to those who supported him after his father and grandparents were killed in Japan’s 2011 tsunami.
Sasaki joined the World Series champion Dodgers in January and is set to play against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday as the two teams open the new season at the Tokyo Dome with a two-game series.
“Even when things haven’t been going smoothly in my career, those people have supported me with the same passion and energy,” Sasaki said yesterday in Tokyo. “I want to repay them with my performance.”
Photo: AP
The 23-year-old’s debut comes 14 years after his hometown of Rikuzentakata was virtually wiped off the map when a magnitude 9 earthquake sent huge waves barreling toward Japan’s coast.
Sasaki’s house was washed away and both of his paternal grandparents and his father were killed.
Sasaki went on to become one of Japanese baseball’s best young talents, and news that he would leave for MLB sparked a bidding frenzy around the league.
Sasaki, who is set to take the mound for Game 2 of the series against the Cubs, would dedicate his Dodgers debut to the people who have helped him along the way.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts yesterday said that he would let the pitcher deal with the occasion on his own terms.
“I think that Roki understands how important this moment is for him, his family, the Japanese people,” Roberts said. “I don’t want to add to the pressure. Sometimes I just like to let it play out and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Sasaki is no stranger to the Tokyo Dome and was part of the Japan team that played there on the way to winning the World Baseball Classic in 2023.
That included playing as Japan’s starting pitcher on the 12-year anniversary of the disaster that upended his life.
Sasaki said he was looking forward to playing at the Tokyo Dome again and wants “to make the most of it and really enjoy the experience.”
“Playing in MLB is something that I’ve been looking forward to since I was in school, so to be able to make my debut in the Tokyo Dome is something that my high school self would be very surprised at,” he said.
The Dodgers have played two warm-up games against Japanese teams since arriving in Tokyo.
Slugger Shohei Ohtani has been the center of attention, with thousands of fans paying just to watch the Japanese superstar practice.
Sasaki had a front-row seat when Ohtani hit a monster home run in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday.
The games have been played in “a great atmosphere” so far, Sasaki said.
“I’m just trying to make sure that there aren’t any things left that I’m uncomfortable with so that I can concentrate on the game,” he added.
Sasaki’s Japanese teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be the Dodgers’ starting pitcher in Game 1 of the series tomorrow.
Yamamoto is in his second season with the Dodgers and helped them win the World Series at the first time of asking.
“I haven’t received any particular advice from anyone, but this is Japan, so the environment and atmosphere is something that I’m used to,” Sasaki said. “I want to take advantage of that and prepare myself well.”
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
RSS