Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Japanese baseball prodigy Roki Sasaki issued a pledge of solidarity on Wednesday as he was formally unveiled by the Los Angeles Dodgers after signing with the World Series champions. The 23-year-old pitching sensation, who saw his father and paternal grandparents killed in Japan’s deadly 2011 tsunami, said he was determined to be a success in Los Angeles, which is reeling from the most destructive wildfires in the city’s history.
“As I’ve also lived through a difficult time due to a natural disaster, I’ve also made sure to never lose sight of my goals and keep looking forward,” Sasaki said in a statement through an interpreter. “Los Angeles is facing challenging and difficult times right now and as a member of the Dodgers starting today, I am dedicated to give my best and strive forward together with the people of this city.”
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Sasaki had been pursued by multiple Major League Baseball clubs before eventually signing for the Dodgers in a deal confirmed last week. The pitching star said he had been drawn to the Dodgers by the stability of the team’s management.
“Putting on this Dodgers uniform today, I am reminded that my journey is just about to begin, and it makes me feel more focused than ever,” Sasaki said at Dodger Stadium. Although the presence of compatriots Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the Dodgers was presumed to have influenced his decision, Sasaki said it had not been the key factor.
“It wasn’t a priority if there were Japanese players on the team, but I did want to check to make sure that I thought a Japanese player would be embraced in the team and the city,” he told reporters. “I am looking forward to playing with Ohtani and Yamamoto, both exceptional players. I had the opportunity to speak to a lot of teams, and they had a lot of appealing features. But overall when I looked at the general consensus, I thought that the Dodgers were at the top. The number one thing that stood out was the stability of the front office.”
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Sasaki was “one of the most electrifying and promising talents in the game,” adding that the team planned to unleash him on opponents immediately. “The plan is to hit the ground running in spring training and have him be a big part of helping us win games,” Friedman said.
© 2024 AFP
