Pitcher Roki Sasaki next 'big thing' from Japanese baseball By YURI KAGEYAMA and STEPHEN WADE Associated Press Mar 7, 2023 Mar 7, 2023 Updated Sep 10, 2023 0 Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save TOKYO — In Japan they call pitcher Roki Sasaki the “Monster of the Reiwa Era," which translates roughly into a “once-in-a-generation superstar."kAmx? D:>A=6 t?8=:D9[ $2D2<: :D =:<6=J E@ 36 E96 ?6IE 3:8 E9:?8 @FE @7 y2A2? 7@==@H:?8 $9@96: ~9E2?:[ H9@ 563FE65 7:G6 J62CD 28@ H:E9 E96 {@D p?86=6D p?86=D]k^AmkAm“w6’D 8@E G6=@4:EJ[ 2?5 9:D 7@C<32==D 2?5 D=:56CD 2C6 8C62E] w6 :D D@>6E9:?8 DA64:2=[” $2? s:68@ !25C6D A:E496C *F s2CG:D9 D2:5 @7 $2D2<: 2E y2A2?VD EC2:?:?8 42>A 7@C E96 (@C=5 q2D632== r=2DD:4]k^Am kAmw@H DA64:2= :D E96 r9:32 {@EE6 |2C:?6D C:89E\92?565 A:E496Cnk^AmkAmw:D ?F>36CD 2C6 2DE@F?5:?8] w6 A:E4965 2 A6C764E 82>6 @? pAC:= `_[ a_aa[ 282:?DE y2A2?VD ~C:I qF772=@6D 2?5 DECF4< @FE `h — `b :? 2 C@H 2E @?6 A@:?E]k^Am People are also reading… One TV weather team – two devastating diagnoses Is Iowa losing its religion? Church closures mount in rural communities AJ Pritchard wins over Shirley Ballas on ‘DWTS: The Next Pro’ Denison woman dies, Lincoln driver seriously injured in western Iowa crash Will winter be snowy, stormy or mild? Farmers' Almanac forecast by region Iowa State athletics breaks fundraising record in 2026 Iowa State lineman explains woodworking hobby, custom locker Nebraska lights up ‘Lanterns,’ a new TV Western 5 fast facts on new Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers Mafia link feared in Sicilian grand master theft Climate change reshaping daily life in Europe’s hottest town ABC says Trump intimidation forced programming changes Area’s first 7 Brew coffee shop officially opens Monday in Cedar Falls Moderna, Merck breakthrough could usher in cancer vaccines As Europe bakes, momentum grows for climate-resilient farming kAmx? 9:D ?6IE DE2CE @? pAC:= `f[ 96 A:E4965 6:89E A6C764E :??:?8D 282:?DE E96 }:AA@?\w2> u:89E6CD 367@C6 96 H2D AF==65 7@C 42FE:@?2CJ C62D@?D 3J >2?286C %2529:E@ x8F49:] w6 925 `c DEC:<6@FED :? E92E @FE:?8[ :?4=F5:?8 DEC:<:?8 @FE E96 D:56 :? E96 6:89E9 2?5 D9@H:?8 @77 2 `_`\>A9 72DE32==]k^Am kAm$2D2<: 92D E96 72DE32==[ E96 H:A6@FE 7@C<32==[ 2?5 2 56G6=@A:?8 D=:56C — 2?5 96 ;FDE EFC?65 a`] {2DE H66< 9:D 72DE32== H2D 4=@4<65 2E `_a]d >A9 :? 2 (qr AC6A 82>6[ EJ:?8 2 C64@C5 :? y2A2? 96=5 3J ~9E2?:]k^Am kAm%92EVD E96 8@@5 ?6HD] %96 325 ?6HD 7@C 72?D @7 |2;@C {628F6 q2D632== :D E92E — 2=E9@F89 $2D2<: :D C6A@CE65 E@ 36 H@C<:?8 @? 9:D t?8=:D9 — 96VD ?@E =:<6=J E@ 8@ E@ }@CE9 p>6C:42 G6CJ D@@?]k^Am kAm“%92E :D >J 5C62>[” $2D2<: D2:5 @7 36:?8 2 >2;@C =628F6C]k^Am kAm~9E2?: =2?565 9:D 562= H:E9 E96 p?86=D =2E6 :? a_`f[ H96? 96 H2D @?=J ab] %9:D >62?D E96 4@FCED9:A 7@C $2D2<: >:89E DE2CE 62C=:6C[ 2D :E 5:5 7@C ~9E2?:]k^AmkAmy2A2?6D6 32D632== 8F2C5D :ED E2=6?E] y2A2?6D6 AC@76DD:@?2= 32D632== A=2J6CD 86?6C2==J 5@ ?@E 364@>6 7C66 286?ED F?E:= E96J 92G6 A=2J65 7@C 2=>@DE 2 564256] %96J 42? 8@ 62C=:6C F?56C 2 DA64:2= D@\42==65 “A@DE:?8Q DJDE6>[ :? H9:49 E96 y2A2?6D6 4=F3 28C66D E@ =6E 2 A=2J6C 8@] %96 >@DE =:<6=J D46?2C:@ :D 27E6C $2D2<: EFC?D ad[ H9:49 >:89E >62? E96 a_af D62D@? 2E E96 62C=:6DE]k^AmkAm%96 (@C=5 q2D632== r=2DD:4[ H9:49 @A6?D (65?6D52J :? %2:H2?[ H:== 36 7@==@H65 3J EH@ H66<D @7 82>6D :? %2:H2?[ y2A2?[ 2?5 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] xEVD 2 D9@H42D6 @7 H@C=5 32D632==[ 2?5 :? y2A2? E96 7@4FD 7@C D4@FED H:== 36 >@DE=J @? E96 A:E496CD]k^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS Feed | Omny Studio | All Of Our Podcasts kAm“(92E H6’G6 D66? H:E9 E96 y2A2?6D6 A:E496CD :D E96 4@>>2?5 @7 >F=E:A=6 A:E496D[ H9:49 :D C62==J 25G2?E286@FD :? E96 >2;@C =628F6 DJDE6>] p?5 D@ E92E :D 2 3:8 D6==:?8 A@:?E[” s2G6 z2G2=[ AC6D:56?E @7 ~2<=2?5 pE9=6E:4D[ E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD]k^Am kAm“%96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 C62D@?D H9J 92G:?8 2 8=@32= A=2J6C 3C:?8D H:E9 :E 36?67:ED 7@C G:6H6CD9:A[ 2?5 F=E:>2E6=J E@ C6G6?F6[Q z2G2= 25565]k^AmkAmu@C 2== E96 62C=J DF446DD[ $2D2<: 92D 2=D@ 72465 562E9 2?5 EC2865J]k^Am kAmw6 8C6H FA :? xH2E6 !C6764EFC6[ E96 D2>6 ?@CE96C? 2C62 @7 y2A2? 2D ~9E2?:] qFE :? a_``[ 2? 62CE9BF2<6 2?5 EDF?2>: DECF4< E96 C68:@?[ 7@==@H65 3J E96 >6=E5@H? @7 E9C66 ?F4=62C C624E@CD] w:D 9@FD6 H2D DH6AE 2H2J 2?5 9:D 72E96C 2?5 8C2?5A2C6?ED 5:65] p3@FE a_[___ A6C:D965 :? E96 EC2865J]k^Am kAmQxE’D 366? `` J62CD 3FE x 42??@E 62D:=J 6C2D6 E96 28@?J 2?5 D25?6DD x 76=E 2E E96 E:>6[” $2D2<: D2:5 2 J62C 28@ 2E 2 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46]k^AmkAm%96? 96 DA@<6 E@ J@F?8 49:=5C6? 23@FE 9:D =@DD]k^Am kAm“x H2?E E96> E@ 2AAC64:2E6 2?5 ?@E E2<6 7@C 8C2?E65 E96 E9:?8D E96J 92G6 ?@H 2?5 E96 AC64:@FD A6@A=6 2C@F?5 E96>[” 96 D2:5]k^AmkAm!:E496CD :? y2A2? 86E 62C=J EC2:?:?8[ 5C:G6? 3J E96 H:=5 A@AF=2C:EJ @7 E96 4@F?ECJVD 9:89 D49@@= E@FC?2>6?ED] %96J 92G6 9:DE@C:42==J 925 >@C6 DF446DD :? }@CE9 p>6C:42 E92? E96 9:EE6CD[ H:E9 D@>6 6I46AE:@?D :?4=F5:?8 x49:C@ $FKF<:[ ~9E2?:[ 2?5 w:56<: |2EDF:]k^Am kAmy2A2?VD >@DE AC@>:D:?8 9:EE6C :D AC@323=J |F?6E2<2 |FC2<2>:[ H9@ 9:E de 9@>6 CF?D =2DE D62D@? 2?5 DFCA2DD65 E96 dd 9:E 3J $25292CF ~9] %96 y2A2?6D6 =628F6 C64@C5 :D e_ 3J (=25:>:C q2=6?E:6?] |FC2<2>: H2D 2=D@ E96 J@F?86DE E@ H:? E96 =628F6VD %C:A=6 rC@H? =2DE D62D@? 2E aa]k^Am kAmy2A2?VD @E96C E@A A:E49:?8 AC@DA64E :D *@D9:?@3F *2>2>@E@[ H9@ 92D EH:46 H@? E96 E@A\DE2CE:?8 A:E496C 2H2C5 :? y2A2?6D6 32D632==]k^AmkAm“|@DE @7 E96 E@A A:E496CD :? y2A2? H9@ 8@ E@ E96 $E2E6D H:== DF44665[” D2:5 #@36CE (9:E:?8[ H9@ 92D HC:EE6? D6G6C2= 3@@<D 23@FE y2A2?6D6 32D632== :?4=F5:?8 “%96 $2>FC2: (2J @7 q2D632==]”k^AmkAmqFE $2D2<: :D F?5@F3E65=J E92E “@?46 :? 2 86?6C2E:@?” A:4<]k^Am kAm“x?E6C6DE :? 9:> :? E96 >2;@CD H@F=5 36 >@?F>6?E2=] %96C6 H@F=5 36 2? 2H7F= =@E @7 AC6DDFC6 @? {@EE6 E@ A@DE 9:>[Q (9:E:?8 D2:5] “p?5 96 :D C62==J[ C62==J 8@@5]”k^Am 0 Comments Related to this story Watch Now: Related Video 'We stand for Tash' - Tyler Marsh, Chicago Sky show support for Natasha Cloud after confrontation with Kanter Freedom. 'I didn't see it' - Caitlin Clark comments on Kanter Freedom's confrontation with Sky's Natasha Cloud 'I didn't see it' - Caitlin Clark comments on Kanter Freedom's confrontation with Sky's Natasha Cloud Who Are the Top 5 College Football Teams to Watch in 2026? Who Are the Top 5 College Football Teams to Watch in 2026? Transgender athlete debate draws dueling protests outside Fever-Liberty game Transgender athlete debate draws dueling protests outside Fever-Liberty game Recommended for you
'We stand for Tash' - Tyler Marsh, Chicago Sky show support for Natasha Cloud after confrontation with Kanter Freedom.
'I didn't see it' - Caitlin Clark comments on Kanter Freedom's confrontation with Sky's Natasha Cloud
'I didn't see it' - Caitlin Clark comments on Kanter Freedom's confrontation with Sky's Natasha Cloud
