PLEASE NOTE Kazuhiro Sasaki 佐々木 主浩 IS AND EXTREMELY RARE AUTOGRAPH HAS HE ONLY PLAYED 3 SEASONS IN THE MLB AND WAS THE MLB ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. This auction is for the following Kazuhiro Sasaki 1997 Calbee Japanese card autographed card that has been JSA authenticated. This Kazuhiro Sasaki autographed card has been authenticated by the most prestigious and respected authentication companies in the hobby JSA #QQ78732. Autographed items that have been authenticated by JSA adds and additional value to all signed items that bare the JSA authentication process.
BIO:
Kazuhiro Sasaki 佐々木 主浩 Japanese
Baseball Hall of Fame 2014 Inductee, 2000 MLB AL Rookie of the Year, MLB 2×
All-Star (2001, 2002), Seattle Mariners (2000–2003), Yokohama Taiyo
Whales / Yokohama BayStars (1990–1999), Yokohama BayStars (2004–2005). Former Nippon
Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He
played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales / Yokohama BayStars
(1990–1999; 2004–2005). Sasaki played his entire MLB career with the Seattle
Mariners (2000–2003).
After
playing college baseball for Tohoku Fukushi University, Sasaki was drafted in
the first round of the 1989 draft by the Yokohama Taiyō Whales (now named
Yokohama DeNA BayStars) in Japan's Central League. He played for them from
1990–1999, before joining the Seattle Mariners in 2000. He joined a bullpen
that had been one of the worst in the Major Leagues, and during his rookie year
won the closer job from a floundering José Mesa. Sasaki's out pitch, a
devastating split-fingered fastball that drops when arriving at home plate, was
nicknamed "The Thang" by Mariners radio announcers. He complemented
it with a four-seam fastball that topped out at mid-90s. Sasaki maintained a
rigorous throwing program, sometimes at odds with club management, that saw him
throw up to 100 pitches following games in which he did not appear. Sasaki's
transition to American baseball began with his being named American League
Rookie of the Year. For three years, along with Jeff Nelson and Arthur Rhodes,
Sasaki was an integral member of the back of Seattle's bullpen. He decided to
leave the Mariners before the last year of his contract in 2004, giving up $8.5
million, citing his desire to be with his family in Japan. According to the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, however, Sasaki's real reason for returning to
Japan was pressure from ownership, due to his "indiscreet philandering".
Sasaki resumed his career with the BayStars upon returning to Japan, where he
pitched for another year. But in his second year back, nagging knee and elbow
injuries resulted in his release from Yokohama and subsequent retirement. His
last official appearance came as a cameo against the Tokyo Giants on August 9,
2005, as he struck out his longtime friend and rival Kazuhiro Kiyohara in a
game played at Fullcast Stadium Miyagi in his hometown. In addition to his
Rookie of the Year award, Sasaki set several Japanese professional baseball
records, including saves (45) and save opportunities (46) for a single season
in 1998; he was twice selected to play in the All-Star game, and was selected
to eight All-Star teams in Japan. Sasaki's 37 saves in his rookie season with
the Seattle Mariners remained a Major League Baseball record for saves by a
rookie until Neftalí Feliz broke it in 2010 with 40.
THIS
IS AN AUTHENTIC HAND AUTOGRAPHED JSA COA AUTHENTICATED CARD. I ONLY SELL
AUTHENTIC HAND AUTOGRAPHED MEMORABILIA. I do not sell reprints or facsimile
autographs. When you bid on my items you will receive the real deal authentic
hand autographed items. You will receive the same signed card that is pictured
in the scan. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me. I combine
S&H when multiple items are purchased. I ship items internationally the price
for international S&H varies by country. I currently have other rare
autographed military and historical signed items available. Please take a look
at my other auctions of rare military and historical autographed items.