Rookie of the Year: Kazuhiro Sasaki, 2000

Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

Age:  32

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 208

Prior to 2000:

A native of Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Sasaki learned to throw a forkball in college at Tohoku Fukushi University. From there he was drafted seventh overall by the Yokohama Taiyo Whales of the Japanese Central League in 1989. By 1991 he was being utilized as the primary closer out of the bullpen by the Whales and had a 6-9 record, 2.00 ERA, and was credited with 17 saves.  With his excellent fastball and forkball Sasaki, who was nicknamed “Daimajin” (Great Demon God) developed into a top closer and became the highest-paid player in Japanese baseball following a 1997 season in which he compiled 38 saves. A typically low-achieving club, the Whales were renamed the BayStars in 1993. They  won the Central League title and the Japan Series in 1998 as Sasaki contributed 45 saves and was named MVP of the Central League. Through 1999 he had accumulated a then-Japanese record 229 saves and, entering free agency, he chose to move on to the US major leagues and signed with the Mariners in 2000 where he supplanted RHP Jose Mesa as the closer in the bullpen.    

2000 Season Summary

Appeared in 63 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 63

Games Started – 0

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 2

Losses – 5

PCT - .286

Saves – 37 [3]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 62.2

Hits – 42

Runs – 25

Earned Runs – 22

Home Runs – 10

Bases on Balls – 31

Strikeouts – 78

ERA – 3.16 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 1

Midseason Snapshot: 1-5, ERA - 3.48, SV – 19, SO - 40 in 33.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 3 on six occasions

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fielding

Chances – 5

Put Outs – 2

Assists – 3

Errors – 0

DP – 0

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching: G – 4 (ALDS vs. Chi. White Sox – 2 G, ALCS vs. NY Yankees – 2 G)

GS – 0, CG – 0, Record – 0-0, PCT – .000, SV – 3, ShO – 0, IP – 4.2, H – 4, R – 0, ER – 0, HR – 0, BB – 1, SO – 8, ERA – 0.00, HB – 1, BLK – 0, WP – 1

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Kazuhiro Sasaki, Sea.: 104 pts. – 17 of 28 first place votes, 74% share

Terrence Long, Oak.: 83 pts.– 7 first place votes, 59% share

Mark Quinn, KC: 56 pts. –  4 first place votes, 40% share

Bengie Molina, Ana.: 3 pts. – 2% share

Kelly Wunsch, ChiWS.: 2 pts. – 1% share

Mariners went 91-71 to finish second in the AL Western Division, a half-game behind the division-winning Oakland Athletics and qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot. The slow-starting Mariners went 35-20 in June & July to take over first in the AL West, with a subsequent slump costing them their lead and necessitating a final-day win at Anaheim (Sasaki earned a save) to secure a postseason spot.  Won ALDS over the Chicago White Sox, 3 games to 0. Lost ALCS to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of 2000:

Sasaki followed up with a 45-save season for the Mariners, who won 116 games in 2001, and he was an All-Star selection. He adhered to a rigorous throwing program between game appearances and his overpowering forkball came to be referred to as “The Fang”. Sasaki was plagued by injuries in 2003 and finished with just 10 saves in 35 appearances and a 4.05 ERA. Afterward he chose to forfeit the final year of his contract at a cost to him of $8.5 million in order to return to Japan and address family issues. For his four-year American major league career, Sasaki appeared in 228 games and produced a 7-16 record and 3.14 ERA with 129 saves. He struck out 242 batters over 223.1 innings pitched. In 8 postseason games Sasaki was 0-1 with 4 saves. He was a two-time All-Star. Upon returning to Japan he again joined the Yokohama BayStars in 2004 and was plagued by injuries in his final two seasons, retiring in 2005 after having compiled a 43-38 record with a 2.41 ERA and 252 saves. Sasaki was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.