is a Japanese former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...

who is currently the chief pitching coach for the

Yokohama DeNA BayStars The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its current ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB). Saito's professional career spanned 23 years. He spent his first 13 seasons pitching for the Yokohama Taiyo Whales / BayStars in the Japanese

Central League The or is one of 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 consi ...

, compiling a record of 87–80, usually as a starter. He spent the next seven seasons in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) as a closer and relief pitcher, before finishing his career in Japan with the

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping ...

. In his first MLB season of 2006, Saito finished eighth in the National League Cy Young Award voting. In his second season, he was named an All-Star.
"2006 NL Cy Young Award" Retrieved on July 24, 2007. Los Angeles Dodgers, Dodgers broadcaster

Vin Scully Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was an American sportscaster. He was best known for his 67 seasons calling games for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, beginning in 1950 (when the franchise was located ...

bestowed the nickname "The Man from Miyagi" upon him, in reference to the prefecture that encompasses Saito's place of birth. He was also nicknamed "Sammy" by his Dodgers teammates

Andre Ethier Andre Everett Ethier (; born April 10, 1982) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2017 and is second all-time in post-season appearances as a Do ...

and

Matt Kemp Matthew Ryan Kemp (born September 23, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He began his professional career in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2003, and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Dodgers fr ...

, who affectionally compared him to Sammy Sosa.

Career

Japan

Saito played for

Tohoku Fukushi University is a Japanese private university in Sendai. Notable alumni Politics *Shintaro Ito * Itsunori Onodera Sports *Baseball **Mamoru Kishida ** Takashi Saito ** Kazuhiro Sasaki **Kazuhiro Wada ** Ken Kadokura **Tomoaki Kanemoto *Figure skating ** Aki ...

in Sendai during his college years alongside players such as closer

Kazuhiro Sasaki Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki (佐々木主浩 ''Sasaki Kazuhiro'', born February 22, 1968) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo W ...

(who went on to play for the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

) and

left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...

Tomoaki Kanemoto is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and manager. In his career as a player he spent 11 years with the Hiroshima Carp before moving to the Hanshin Tigers in 2003, where he spent another 10 years. He holds the world record for c ...

(who went on to play for the

Hanshin Tigers The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railwa ...

). Saito was originally a position player, but he became a

in his second year in college. He was drafted in the first round by the

Yokohama Taiyo Whales The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its curren ...

in . He was an All-Star a total of four times while in Japan (, , and ), and he led the

in strikeouts with 206 in 1996. He was found to have a dislocated cartilage in his right elbow in the spring of and had to undergo surgery, and he spent the rest of the season rehabbing. He returned in , winning 13 games while posting a 2.94

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

. His team, the BayStars, also won the Japanese championship series for the second time in 38 years. He became the team's closer after incumbent Kazuhiro Sasaki left the BayStars to join the Mariners in . His record was 7–1 with 27 saves with a 1.67 ERA in 2001. Saito returned to his starting role in but did not win more than 6 games in a season between 2003 and .

Los Angeles Dodgers

Saito signed a minor league deal with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

as a 36-year-old rookie in 2006. He made his first Major League appearance on April 9, 2006, against the Philadelphia Phillies, pitching 2/3 of an inning without giving up any hits or runs. He surprised fans in 2006 by making 24 saves, posting a 2.07 ERA, and striking out 107 batters (the most among relievers). After stepping into the closer role recently vacated by fan favorite

Éric Gagné Éric Serge Gagné (; born January 7, 1976) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher who played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After signing with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1995 ...

, he recorded his first Major League save on May 15, 2006, against the Colorado Rockies. Saito threw a 159 km/h (99 mph)

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thr ...

on June 26, , which is claimed to be the all-time record for a Japanese-born Major League pitcher. In 2007, Saito recorded 39 saves with 78 strikeouts in 64 innings. He posted a career-best 1.40 ERA and 0.715 WHIP. He was named to the National League All-Star team for the first time in 2007 and was also named closer of the month for August of that year, and on September 25, Saito was named one of 10 finalists for the

DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award Major League Baseball (MLB) annually honored its best relief pitcher with the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year Award from 2005 through 2013. It was initially part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and package delivery company DH ...

. Saito had his first career major league at-bat on April 23, . On July 18, 2008, Saito was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained ligament in his elbow. He was activated on September 13. The Dodgers did not offer Saito a contract after the 2008 season and he became a free agent.

Boston Red Sox

On January 10, , Saito signed a one-year $1.5 (+6) million contract with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

with a team option for 2010. He was 3–3 with a 2.53 ERA in 56 games with the Red Sox, primarily as a setup man, in 2009 (final salary: $6 million).

Atlanta Braves

Saito signed a one-year $3.2 million contract with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

on December 3, 2009. He signed a translator, Kosuke Inaji, for the 2010 season. Saito had another productive year, appearing in 56 games for the second consecutive season and posting a 2.83 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 54 innings. He was released by the Braves following the 2010 season, even though he did not have enough MLB experience to qualify for free agency, as stipulated by his contract.

Milwaukee Brewers

After the 2010 season, Saito signed a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers for about $3 million. Kosuke Inaji retained his position from the previous year as Saito's translator. Although he appeared in just 30 games, Saito was 4–2 with a 2.03 ERA in 2011, marking his sixth consecutive season with a sub-2.90 ERA since joining the MLB in 2006. He was the third-oldest player in the National League during this season. The 2011 season with the Brewers also marked Saito's last postseason appearance in MLB play. Yet it was the first time he was credited with a win (Game 2 of the NLDS) and the first time he pitched beyond a Division Series, as the Brewers advanced to the NLCS. His career postseason totals include a 1–0 record in 10 games with a 1.69 ERA, nine strikeouts, no walks, and no home runs allowed.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On December 12, 2011, Saito signed a one-year deal with the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

. He struggled in 2012, appearing in just 16 games for the NL club with a 6.75 ERA in just 12 innings. He also spent time at the minor league level. Saito was the second-oldest active player in MLB during the season. In seven seasons in the MLB, Saito finished his career with a 2.34 ERA, 400 strikeouts, and an average of 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

Return to Japan

Saito returned to Japan after the 2012 season, signing with the

. The Eagles are located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Saito's place of birth. (Saito was nicknamed "The Man from Miyagi" by Dodgers broadcaster

.) The team was founded just one season before Saito left for MLB. In his first season back in Japan, the Golden Eagles won the 2013 Japan Series for the first and only time in team history. Saito pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Game 3 in his only series appearance after earning the series-clinching win in the Pacific League championship series. In a relief role at age 43, Saito appeared in 30 total games and recorded a 2.36 ERA, finishing with a 3–0 record. 2014, though less successful for the Golden Eagles, saw another productive season from Saito. He logged a 1–1 record with a 2.59 ERA in 31 games, his last full season in professional baseball. 2015 marked Saito's third year with the Golden Eagles, though he did not appear on the active roster for the majority of the season. On August 17, he announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season. On October 4, with only three games remaining on the schedule, the team added Saito to the active roster. That day against the eventual NPB champion

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

, Saito took the mound in the ninth inning and faced one batter, striking him out swinging. He was replaced and received a reception with flowers from current teammates (among them

Kazuo Matsui is a Japanese retired professional baseball player who played as a shortstop and is the current manager of the Saitama Seibu Lions. He is a switch-hitter. Matsui signed with the New York Mets on December 17, 2003, becoming the first Japanese i ...

, another former MLB player). Saito was then thrown in the air by teammates five times, a celebratory custom in Japanese baseball. Saito was removed from the active roster the next day. Saito ended his career with 739 games played with 112 victories and 1,731 strikeouts in 23 NPB and MLB seasons.

Pitching style

Saito threw a

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 of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is c ...

in the low 90s, a

two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...

, a

slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

, and a curveball.

Post-playing career

In November 2015, Saito agreed to a one-year role as a front office intern in the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

organization. The role has a baseball operations focus. Saito also agreed to serve as a pitching coach for a series of 2016

Japan national baseball team The is the national team representing Japan in international baseball competitions. It won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009, as well as WBSC Premier12 in 2019. The team is currently ranked 1st in the world by the World Baseball Softb ...

games. After three seasons with the Padres, Saito returned to Japan to become a pitching coach for the

Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the ...

. In 2022, he was named the chief pitching coach for the

Personal life

Saito is married and has three children with his wife.

References

External links

Official blog (Japanese)Japanese league stats and info of Takashi Saito
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saito, Takashi 1970 births Atlanta Braves players Boston Red Sox players Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona League Diamondbacks players Gwinnett Braves players Japanese baseball coaches Japanese expatriate baseball players in the United States Living people Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball players from Japan Milwaukee Brewers players Major League Baseball pitchers National League All-Stars Nashville Sounds players Nippon Professional Baseball coaches Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Reno Aces players Baseball people from Sendai Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles players Visalia Rawhide players Yokohama Taiyō Whales players Yokohama BayStars players