Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki can empathize with people in the Southern California area who were devastated by the forest fires this winter.
Sasaki – the 23-year-old pitcher with the fastball that tickles triple digits and the split-fingered pitch considered by some to be among the best in the world – signed with the Dodgers for a $6.5 million bonus in January after a lengthy recruiting process. He made his first spring training start on March 4 and threw three scoreless innings against the Cincinnati Reds at Camelback Ranch.
“Today’s the fruit of all the hard work that I put in during the offseason and the first part of spring training,” Sasaki said through an interpreter.
But while Sasaki embarks on his Major League career, his thoughts remain with the people of Ofunato, a city in northern Japan, where firefighters continue to battle the country’s worst wildfire in 50 years.
Roki Sasaki Donates Money, Bedding Sets to Help Japan Authorities Battling Forest Fires
GettyDodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki impressed in his first spring action, striking out five Cincinnati batters in three innings
Reports on March 5 amplified the fire and disaster management agency stating that 6,400 acres, over seven times the area of New York’s Central Park, have been engulfed in flames. At least 80 buildings have been damaged, and an evacuation advisory has been issued to around 4,600 people in the area.
Sasaki graduated from Ikawa Elementary School in Ofunato, and his former school is currently being used as an evacuation shelter. City officials announced on March 3 that Sasaki had donated 10 million yen (around $67,000 USD) and 500 sets of bedding to assist with the efforts.
A Reddit thread started that same day amplified news of Sasaki’s gesture, generating several comments of appreciation, including one who stated, “Love Roki. Very sad story, so I really hope he does well. He’s an inspiration to a lot of people like me.”
Roki Sasaki Dazzles Opposing Batters in First Spring Action
Sasaki certainly got off to a good start. In three innings, he threw 46 pitches, 26 of which were strikes, and struck out five Cincinnati batters.
“We’re going to continue to learn more from Roki,” Los Angeles manger Dave Roberts said. “And obviously he’s pitched in a lot of big games in his career, but you’re also in an environment where he’s comfortable. This is something that’s all new to him. And so he’s learning on the fly and we’re asking a lot of him, but there’s a lot of confidence supporting him.”
The split-fingered fastball was especially impressive, generating seven misses on eight swings.
“Some break straight down, some go to the left, some go to the right,” Roberts said. “So it is tough to square it up. You just don’t know what it’s going to do.”
Sasaki is scheduled to start the March 11 game for the Dodgers, and then his next action will be at the Tokyo Dome, where Los Angeles opens the regular season March 18-19 against the Chicago Cubs. Sasaki said he feels confident about his chances of being successful
“A couple things I noticed with big league hitters: They do hit mistakes, and they do take some splits that I threw,” Sasaki said. “But I did feel really good about being able to jam some hitters. As long as I throw quality pitches, I should be able to get these guys out.”
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