Through all the ups and downs of his first season in the major leagues, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki persevered like he has throughout his life.
Sasaki knows all too well the importance of living every day to the fullest.
It’s a message he learned early on as a survivor of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, which claimed the lives of his father and grandparents.
The long road from his devastated hometown of Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture led to Sasaki contributing to the Dodgers’ World Series triumph.
His clutch relief pitching helped the Dodgers defeat the Toronto Blue Jays, culminating in a thrilling 5-4 win in Game 7 in Toronto on Nov. 1.
Sasaki, who turned 24 on Nov. 3, will now don a cherished World Series champion ring.
Sharing his joy with his Japanese teammates–World Series MVP pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who closed out the victory, and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani–Sasaki reflected on his first year playing in the major leagues.
“I have some regrets about this season, but my pitching in the postseason provided me with a great experience,” said Sasaki.
How did Sasaki continue working so hard with his eyes firmly fixed on the future, despite spending a lengthy time of his rookie season on the injured list? A tour of his home prefecture offers a clue to the reason.
VISIT TO HIS HOMETOWN
Banners set up by a group of local supporters to cheer for Sasaki can be found everywhere at the Rikuzentakata city hall, the tourist information center and bus stops.
They convey a message to Sasaki in North America, more than 8,000 kilometers across the Pacific: “Roki Sasaki, the ‘Monster of the Reiwa Era’ (2019-present), you can do it!”
Sasaki was famously born in the city of Rikuzentakata.
The coastal municipality suffered extensive damage when the magnitude-9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami struck the northeastern Tohoku region on March 11, 2011.
A tree dubbed the “miracle pine” is particularly famed as the city’s symbol of recovery, as it remained standing there despite the towering wave. The tree is currently preserved as a memorial.
Sasaki was in the third grade in elementary school at the time of the disaster. He evacuated from the school to a nearby hill. His home was swept away in the tsunami, and his 37-year-old father, Kota, along with his grandparents, perished.
RISE FROM THE RUINS
In March 2021, Sasaki released a statement in reference to his hometown on the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
“This year marks a decade since the temblor,” Sasaki said. “I have never forgotten what happened. Reaching the 10-year milestone does not change anything. March 11 remains a special day for me every year.”
Traces of the city being inundated by high waves up to over 18 meters still remain in all corners of the townscape.
A former regional community has been designated a no-construction zone where new residences are prohibited. A monument commemorating the horrors of the tsunami stands alone, with a cool breeze rustling through the grass-covered, vacant field.
Sasaki used to play catch with his father and brother at a local park. But the park has similarly been lost in the disaster.
Residents of Rikuzentakata currently live in the redeveloped urban area elevated 10 meters in line with the anti-tsunami safeguards. As stores and home have been relocated, normal life has gradually returned over the past 14 years.
Of such refurbished establishments, Shikairo, a Chinese restaurant frequented by the Sasaki family, had its building, which was destroyed in the tsunami, rebuilt in 2019, in particular.
Its owner, Masahiro Osada, a friend of Sasaki’s late father, Kota, displays a cherished card autographed by Sasaki at his eatery, which reads, “I will come again for sure!”
TEMPORARY HOME IN SCHOOLYARD
In January 2025, Sasaki, formerly with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japanese professional baseball, signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers.
He showed up at his introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, wearing his number 11 uniform. With a tense expression on the face, his opening words about the massive blaze around Los Angeles that same month were memorable and made an instant impression.
“I was once suffering amid a disaster,” Sasaki recalled. “Everytime I made sure never to lose sight of my goal and keep looking forward through the ordeal.”
Following the 3/11 disaster, Sasaki moved to the neighboring city of Ofunato, also in Iwate Prefecture, with his mother and his older and younger brothers. The family of four resided in temporary housing installed densely in the playground of the city-run Ikawa Elementary School.
A resident familiar with the situation of the time recalled that there had been no space to play baseball on the school grounds. For this reason, Sasaki would reportedly practice pitching along the beach of a river in the neighborhood.
CHALLENGES FACED BY BASEBALL-LOVING BOY
Looking back on bygone days, Sasaki hinted at why he could keep going.
“I had the greatest fun when playing baseball,” he said. “The moment I could be completely absorbed in something enabled me to persevere despite the hard and difficult circumstances.”
A man in his 60s who runs a liquor shop near Ikawa Elementary School recalls Sasaki standing out from the other students due to his prominent height, when he greeted children on their way to and from school each day.
“I spoke to him, saying, ‘Hey, Roki,’ and he would wave back,” the man said. “He seemed like a normal kid. He has become a lot more articulate since joining the Dodgers.”
Sasaki would later become a baseball standout prospect, receiving offers to attend prestigious high schools both within and outside Iwate Prefecture.
However, he decided to remain in his home prefecture. Sasaki attended Iwate Prefectural Ofunato High School, located just up the hill from Ikawa Elementary School.
His goal was to “beat noted private schools and compete in the national Koshien championships with teammates from my hometown.”
The liquor store owner said he watches Sasaki’s performance with the Dodgers on TV almost every game.
“I cannot believe that an athlete hailing from Ofunato could become a major leaguer,” the man said. “His stats do not matter to me. I feel happy simply seeing Roki on the mound.”
In the eyes of some critics, Sasaki appeared to have too hastily taken on the challenge of pursuing his potential in the major leagues.
He was lambasted for rushing things, given that he had never reached the qualifying number of innings pitched in a season during his five-year career with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Sasaki does not talk much about the issue. The only certain thing is that Sasaki understands better than anyone else that his days devoted to professional baseball will not last forever. The comment he made in 2021 highlights this stance.
“No one knows when our normal, everyday lives might disappear in a real sense,” he stated. “This is immensely dreadful to me. I therefore want to fully live for each day, grateful for respective moments.”
Sasaki announced his marriage in February this year. He is now a family man as well.
Sasaki has been forging his own path without remorse over the course of six years since he left Ofunato at the age of 18.
That way, the Monster of the Reiwa Era ended up taking the mound in the World Series with his team vying for the most coveted championship in the sport.
Original Source: This article was originally published on Asahi Sports. Click the link to view the full article.