Masaki Saito (baseball)
Masaki Saito (斎藤 雅樹, Saitō Masaki, born February 18, 1965 in Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He played for the Yomiuri Giants from 1984 to 2001. He won the Eiji Sawamura Award three times, 1989, 1995, and 1996, and he won the Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award in 1990.
| Masaki Saito 斎藤 雅樹 | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher / Coach | |
| Born: February 18, 1965 Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| NPB debut | |
| April 6, 1984, for the Yomiuri Giants | |
| Last appearance | |
| September 30, 2001, for the Yomiuri Giants | |
| NPB statistics (through 2001) | |
| Win–loss | 180–96 |
| ERA | 2.77 |
| Strikeouts | 1,707 |
| Teams | |
| As player
As coach | |
| Member of the Japanese | |
| Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2016 |
Biography
Saito is often referred to as the "Great Ace of the Heisei" because he is considered one of the best pitchers during the Heisei era (1989-2019). He was also known as one of the "Three Pillars of the Giants," along with Hiromi Makihara and Masumi Kuwata from the late 1980s to the 1990s.[1] In the famous "10.8 deciding match in Nagoya" of 1994, Manager Shigeo Nagashima had all three of them pitch.
He holds the NPB record for 11 consecutive complete game wins.[1]
References
- "斎藤雅樹、槙原寛己、桑田真澄 「巨人の最強3本柱」であなたが選ぶエースは誰？". Baseball Online. Retrieved June 8, 2024.