Akio Saito | Today's AI Wiki

1. Early Life and Amateur Career

Akio Saito was born on February 23, 1955, in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, as the eldest son of a fishmonger. He began his baseball journey in junior high school, joining the baseball club at Kyoto Municipal Momoyama Junior High School. During his time at Hanazono High School, Saito initially played as a center fielder and batted sixth, never pitching until the autumn of his second year when his coach designated him as a pitcher.

In 1972, as a third-year student, he participated in the 44th Spring Koshien Tournament as a center fielder and sixth batter, but his team suffered a shutout loss in the first round against Senshu University Kitakami High School. In the summer prefectural qualifiers that same year, Saito became the ace pitcher, recording three consecutive shutouts. However, his team was defeated 4-6 in a hard-fought 16-inning quarterfinal match against Kyoto Municipal Saikyo High School, preventing them from advancing to Koshien Stadium.

After high school, Saito enrolled at Osaka Commercial University. In the Kansai Big Six Baseball League, he played a pivotal role in his team's first championship in the spring of 1975. That year, the team reached the final of the University Baseball Championship, losing 0-1 in 14 extra innings to Komazawa University, which featured future professional stars like Shigekazu Mori and Kiyoshi Nakahata. Saito gained national attention during this period, with articles comparing him to "Egawa (Suguru) in the East, Saito in the West." In the spring of 1976, his team secured a second league championship, but again fell short in the University Baseball Championship final, losing to Tokai University, which boasted pitchers Kazuhiko Endo and Yasuyuki Yoshida. Saito was selected to represent Japan in the Japan-US Collegiate Baseball Championship in both 1975 and 1976.

Throughout his collegiate career, Saito appeared in 71 league games, accumulating 30 wins and 17 losses with a 1.70 ERA and 324 strikeouts. He received the Kansai Sportswriters Club Award twice as the Most Valuable Player and was named to the Best Nine team twice. He was often grouped with Shigekazu Mori of Komazawa University and Yoshinori Sato of Nihon University as the "Three Great College Pitchers." Prior to the draft, Saito, a lifelong fan of the Hanshin Tigers, had only considered joining them, partly due to his high school coach having been a teammate of Yoshio Yoshida at Ritsumeikan University.

2. Professional Playing Career

Akio Saito was highly regarded as a talented pitcher, having led his university team to two runner-up finishes in the national championship. In the 1976 professional baseball draft, he was selected as the first overall pick by the Taiyo Whales (now the Yokohama DeNA BayStars) and subsequently joined the team. The club demonstrated its high expectations by assigning him the ace uniform number 17, previously worn by legendary pitchers such as Noboru Akiyama and Ritsuo Yamashita.

2.1. Debut and Rookie Season

Saito made his professional debut in 1977, immediately being registered for the first team from Opening Day as a rookie. On August 30, in a game against the Yomiuri Giants, he gained widespread recognition by not only preventing Sadaharu Oh from achieving his world record-tying 755th home run but also by pitching his first career complete game shutout. He finished his rookie season with 8 wins and 9 losses, notably securing 4 victories against the Giants. His impressive performance earned him the Rookie of the Year title, surpassing other strong contenders like Kenichi Kajima and Takashi Nishimoto.

2.2. Pitching Style and Key Attributes

Saito played his entire professional career for the Taiyo Whales, which later became the Yokohama Taiyo Whales and then the Yokohama BayStars, from 1977 to 1993. He was renowned for his powerful fastball, which typically reached speeds in the low 87 mph ^{(140 km/h)} range, and his distinctive slow curveball. Despite having only these two primary pitches, his exceptional control and masterful use of changes in speed allowed him to effectively shut down even the most formidable hitters.

Saito demonstrated remarkable versatility, excelling as both a starting pitcher and a closer. He holds the distinction of being the first right-handed pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball history, and only the third pitcher overall, to achieve the rare milestone of 100 career wins and 100 career saves, finishing with a total of 128 wins and 133 saves. His effectiveness as a closer was particularly notable, as he frequently pitched multiple innings in relief, a common practice at the time. This often led to him reaching the minimum innings pitched to qualify for ERA title even as a reliever. Due to his unique and impactful career, some baseball figures, including Masaji Hiramatsu, have advocated for his inclusion in the Meikyukai (Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame), despite not meeting its traditional statistical criteria.

Saito struggled against certain batters, notably Kazunori Shinozuka of the Yomiuri Giants and Yoshifumi Takahashi of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Shinozuka hit his first professional hit off Saito, and Takahashi hit his first professional home run against him.

2.3. Career Milestones and Achievements

In 1978, Saito was chosen by manager Kaoru Betto to start the inaugural game at the newly opened Yokohama Stadium, a testament to his youth and courage. He pitched a complete game victory, becoming the first pitcher to record a win in an official game at the new stadium.

From 1980, Saito began growing his signature mustache, which, combined with his stern appearance, earned him the nickname "Hige no Saito" (The Bearded Saito) among fans of the Taiyo Whales and even opposing teams. In 1981, he transitioned to a closer role, replacing Kazuhiko Endo, and recorded 5 wins, 15 losses, and 10 saves.

In 1982, Saito changed his registered name from 明雄_Akio^Japanese to 明夫_Akio^Japanese (same pronunciation). That year, he set a then-Japan record with 8 consecutive saves and achieved 30 saves in a single season, leading the league in saves. Furthermore, he reached the minimum innings pitched to qualify for the ERA title and subsequently won the ERA title with a 2.07 ERA. In 1983, he recorded 10 wins, 8 losses, and 22 saves, earning the Most Saves title (also known as the Fireman Award). He won the Most Saves title for a second time in 1986.

On July 3, 1988, in a game against the Chunichi Dragons, Saito achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first right-handed pitcher in Japanese professional baseball history, and only the third pitcher overall (after Yutaka Enatsu and Kazuyuki Yamamoto), to reach 100 career wins and 100 career saves. This feat was later accomplished by Yutaka Ohno, Genji Guo, and Shinji Sasaoka.

Saito was selected to the All-Star Game six times (1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987). In the 1982 All-Star Game, he set a Japanese record for the most consecutive innings pitched in an All-Star Game, throwing 5 innings from the 7th inning through the 11th inning of an extended game. This is a Japanese record for consecutive innings pitched in an All-Star Game, and under current All-Star Game rules-which limit pitchers to 3 innings and do not feature extra innings-this record is unlikely to be broken.

2.4. Role Transitions and Injuries

Shortly after the start of the 1988 season, Saito suffered a right knee meniscus injury. This led to his re-transition to a starting pitcher role, effectively yielding the closer position to Hiroaki Nakayama. His chronic right knee pain worsened significantly by 1993, with his physician reportedly stating that his knee was "in the same condition as a 60-year-old's."

2.5. Career Longevity and Final Season

In 1993, Saito took on a dual role as a player-coach. However, the severe deterioration of his right knee eventually forced him to announce his retirement from professional baseball. His final season culminated in two notable appearances: on October 20, he made his 600th career appearance in a game against the Chunichi Dragons, and two days later, on October 22, he made his last professional appearance in a game against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, marking the end of his illustrious playing career. He is the only player to have participated in official first-team games for all three iterations of the franchise: Taiyo Whales, Yokohama Taiyo Whales, and Yokohama BayStars.

3. Post-Playing Career

After retiring as a player, Akio Saito embarked on a diverse career in baseball, transitioning between coaching and broadcasting roles.

3.1. Coaching Career

Saito's coaching career began in 1993 as a player-coach for the Yokohama BayStars. After his full retirement as a player, he served as the first-team pitching coach for the Yokohama BayStars from 1996 to 1999. Following a period in broadcasting, he returned to the BayStars as the first-team chief pitching coach from 2007 to 2008, coinciding with Akihiko Ohya's reappointment as manager. However, the BayStars' pitching staff struggled significantly in 2008, recording the worst team ERA in NPB at 4.74 ERA, which contributed to the team finishing last in the Central League. As a result, Saito was relieved of his coaching duties at the end of the 2008 season.

In 2013, Saito was appointed as the first-team pitching coach for the Chiba Lotte Marines. During his tenure, he took a leave of absence due to poor health from September 3 to September 9, returning as a bullpen coach on September 10. The team's ERA remained the lowest in the league that season. In 2014, he transitioned to the role of second-team pitching coach for the Marines. On October 5 of that year, the club announced that his contract would not be renewed for the following season, leading to his departure.

3.2. Broadcasting Career

Saito has had an extensive career as a baseball commentator. He first served as a baseball commentator for Fuji TV and Nippon Broadcasting System from 1994 to 1995. After his first coaching stint with the BayStars, he returned to broadcasting for Fuji TV and Nippon Broadcasting (primarily for regional broadcasts) from 2000 to 2006. During this period, he also appeared on tvk.

Following his second coaching stint with the BayStars, he resumed his broadcasting career in 2009, working for Fuji TV, tvk, J SPORTS, and Nippon Broadcasting (for 2009 only, focusing on regional broadcasts). From 2015, he continued as a commentator for Fuji TV and J SPORTS. In 2016, he added tvk and Sponavi Live to his commentary roles for Yokohama DeNA BayStars games, and from 2018, he also began commentating for DAZN's coverage of BayStars games.

In December 2018, Saito succeeded Masaji Hiramatsu as the new chairman of the Whales/BayStars OB Association.

4. Personal Life and Anecdotes

Akio Saito is widely known by his nickname "Hige no Saito" (ヒゲの斉藤_{The Bearded Saito}^Japanese), or simply "Hige" (ヒゲ_Beard^Japanese), due to his prominent mustache, which he started growing around 1980. He is the only player to have played in official first-team games for all three eras of the Yokohama franchise: the Taiyo Whales, the Yokohama Taiyo Whales, and the Yokohama BayStars. His name has occasionally been misspelled as 昭夫_Akio^Japanese or 昭雄_Akio^Japanese.

Saito had a strong desire to wear uniform number 14 when he joined the pros, admiring Takashi Yamaguchi, a key pitcher for the Hankyu Braves at the time. However, he was told that number 17 was already decided for him, a number he felt was "heavy" due to its association with legendary pitchers like Noboru Akiyama.

An anecdote from his rookie year, after winning the Rookie of the Year award, highlights his strong personality: he received a notice for an elementary school class reunion, which he had never received before. Angered that the invitation only came after he became a successful professional, Saito simply wrote "Absent" and mailed it.

Around 2002, Saito began to showcase a "behind-the-back throw" in events like the Professional Baseball Masters League and OB All-Star Games. He was part of the Tokyo Dreams team in the Masters League, contributing to their championship in 2002 and earning the Most Valuable Player award. In 2003, he was the winning pitcher as the team secured its second consecutive championship.

His former teammate, pitcher Hiroki Nomura, attested to Saito's meticulous approach to catchball practice, stating that "every single throw was of extremely high quality" and that Saito "truly valued catchball." Saito would often throw with a relaxed form, shouting "A-ki-o-da-yo~" (It's Akio~), which became a popular imitation among his junior teammates.

Catcher Kazumasa Ichikawa recounted an incident where Saito was called for a balk due to Ichikawa's sign mistake, leading to a loss. Saito told Ichikawa, "Don't say anything," and then publicly commented to the newspapers the next day, "It was all my fault." Ichikawa was deeply moved by this gesture and resolved to "follow him for life."

Saito was known to be a heavy drinker, earning him the nickname "Bacchus". However, in 1978, as an alternative to drinking, he began reading extensively, which led his teammates to jokingly call him "Books."

5. Statistical Records

5.1. Year-by-Year Pitching Statistics

Year	Team	G	GS	CG	SHO	GF	W	L	SV	HLD	W-L%	TBF	IP	H	HR	BB	IBB	HBP	SO	WP	BK	R	ER	ERA	WHIP
1977	Taiyo/Yokohama	38	20	3	1	0	8	9	0	--	.471	624	141.1	156	17	61	5	3	87	0	0	87	69	4.39	1.54
1978		47	26	12	2	3	16	15	4	--	.516	1001	241.0	234	24	67	9	6	162	0	0	90	84	3.14	1.25
1979		37	27	10	2	1	11	6	0	--	.647	826	196.1	198	25	56	5	3	138	1	1	94	88	4.03	1.29
1980		35	33	17	1	2	14	17	1	--	.452	1024	247.1	245	24	72	5	3	165	1	4	111	104	3.78	1.28
1981		47	19	3	0	0	5	15	10	--	.250	743	169.1	195	18	61	9	4	100	0	1	92	81	4.31	1.51
1982		56	1	0	0	0	5	6	30	--	.455	542	134.2	109	12	35	10	1	80	0	0	36	31	2.07	1.07
1983		54	0	0	0	0	10	8	22	--	.556	496	116.0	113	14	45	14	2	67	3	1	52	46	3.57	1.36
1984		43	2	1	1	0	11	6	10	--	.647	419	94.0	115	10	31	12	2	53	1	0	54	51	4.88	1.55
1985		55	0	0	0	0	9	5	18	--	.643	444	109.2	93	9	22	4	0	72	2	0	40	26	2.13	1.05
1986		44	0	0	0	0	5	6	23	--	.455	301	78.0	62	10	13	4	0	49	0	0	18	16	1.85	0.96
1987		39	0	0	0	0	4	1	15	--	.800	279	70.2	57	6	16	2	0	36	4	0	19	17	2.17	1.03
1988		24	17	2	0	1	5	4	0	--	.556	439	105.2	114	4	27	4	2	38	0	2	45	41	3.49	1.33
1989		18	18	5	2	1	8	6	0	--	.571	496	117.1	127	12	34	7	2	49	1	0	44	42	3.22	1.37
1990		24	22	6	1	2	10	7	0	--	.588	615	150.1	144	15	39	3	2	98	0	0	71	68	4.07	1.22
1991		17	16	1	1	0	4	6	0	--	.400	419	99.2	103	10	28	2	0	57	1	0	45	40	3.61	1.31
1992		17	15	4	0	2	3	8	0	--	.273	368	91.1	92	12	11	1	4	66	0	0	42	37	3.65	1.13
1993		6	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	--	----	55	10.2	20	3	1	0	2	4	0	0	13	9	7.59	1.97
Career: 17 years		601	218	64	11	12	128	125	133	--	.506	9091	2173.1	2177	225	619	96	36	1321	14	9	953	850	3.52	1.29

Bold indicates league leader.
The Taiyo Whales changed their team name to Yokohama BayStars in 1993.

5.2. Titles and Awards

ERA Title: 1 (1982)
Strikeout Title: 1 (1978). The Strikeout Title (1978) was not an official league award at the time, but it became an official Central League award from 1991.
Most Saves Title (Fireman Award): 2 (1983, 1986)
Rookie of the Year: 1 (1977)

5.3. Career Records

Firsts:**
- First appearance: April 19, 1977, vs. Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Meiji Jingu Stadium, 6th inning, 4th reliever, 2 innings pitched, 0 runs.
- First strikeout: Same game, 6th inning, against Hiromu Matsuoka.
- First start: April 24, 1977, vs. Chunichi Dragons at Ishikawa Prefectural Baseball Stadium, 3 innings pitched, 1 run.
- First win and first win as a starter: May 8, 1977, vs. Hanshin Tigers at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, 7 innings pitched, 1 run.
- First complete game win and first complete game shutout: August 30, 1977, vs. Yomiuri Giants at Korakuen Stadium.
- First save: April 8, 1978, vs. Hanshin Tigers at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, 7th inning, 2 outs, 2nd reliever, 2 1/3 innings pitched, 0 runs.
Milestones:**
- 1000 innings pitched: April 3, 1982, vs. Hanshin Tigers at Yokohama Stadium, 5th inning, 2 outs.
- 100 saves: May 1, 1986, vs. Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Hiroshima Municipal Stadium. He was the 3rd player in NPB history to achieve this milestone.
- 1500 innings pitched: August 3, 1986, vs. Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Yokohama Stadium, 8th inning, 3 outs.
- 1000 strikeouts: August 22, 1987, vs. Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Yokohama Stadium, 8th inning, against Rick Lancelotti. He was the 72nd player in NPB history to achieve this milestone.
- 500 games pitched: June 7, 1988, vs. Chunichi Dragons at Nagoya Stadium, 5th inning, 6th reliever, 2 innings pitched, 0 runs.
- 100 wins: July 3, 1988, vs. Chunichi Dragons at Yokohama Stadium, 5 innings pitched, 3 runs as a starter. He was the 96th player in NPB history to achieve this milestone.
- 2000 innings pitched: May 30, 1991, vs. Chunichi Dragons at Hamamatsu Stadium, 2nd inning, 1 out. He was the 70th player in NPB history to achieve this milestone.
- 600 games pitched: October 20, 1993, vs. Chunichi Dragons at Yokohama Stadium, 9th inning, 3rd reliever, 1/3 inning pitched, 3 runs.
Other Records:**
- Reached minimum innings pitched to qualify for ERA title and recorded 30 or more saves in the same season (1982). He is the only player in NPB history to achieve this.
- 100 wins and 100 saves. He was the 3rd player in NPB history to achieve this, following Yutaka Enatsu and Kazuyuki Yamamoto; this feat was later achieved by Yutaka Ohno, Genji Guo, and Shinji Sasaoka.
- All-Star Game appearances: 6 times (1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987).
- Most consecutive innings pitched in an All-Star Game: 5 innings (1982). This is a Japanese record for consecutive innings pitched in an All-Star Game, and under current All-Star Game rules-which limit pitchers to 3 innings and do not feature extra innings-this record is unlikely to be broken.

5.4. Uniform Numbers and Name Changes

Akio Saito used the following uniform numbers during his professional career:

17 (1977-1993) - As a player for the Taiyo Whales/Yokohama BayStars.
77 (1996-1999, 2007-2008) - As a coach for the Yokohama BayStars.
85 (2013-2014) - As a coach for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

His registered name also changed over the course of his career:

斉藤明雄 (Saito Akio): 1977-1981 (as a player)
斉藤明夫 (Saito Akio): 1982-1993 (as a player), 1996-1999, 2007-2008 (as a coach)
齊藤明雄 (Saito Akio): 2013-2014 (as a coach)

6. Legacy and Evaluation

Akio Saito's legacy in Japanese baseball is characterized by his remarkable versatility and longevity as a pitcher. His ability to excel as both a dominant starter and a reliable closer, culminating in the rare achievement of 100 wins and 100 saves, solidified his place as one of the most unique pitchers of his era. This dual-threat capability, particularly his effectiveness as a multi-inning reliever, led to calls from peers like Masaji Hiramatsu for his recognition in the Meikyukai, despite not meeting the traditional criteria for either role alone.

Beyond his statistics, Saito's distinctive personality, marked by his iconic mustache and candid anecdotes, endeared him to fans across Japan. His commitment to the Yokohama franchise, being the only player to have played for all its iterations from the Taiyo Whales to the Yokohama BayStars, further cemented his status as a beloved figure in the team's history. As a coach, he contributed to the development of pitching staffs for both the BayStars and the Chiba Lotte Marines, and as a commentator, he has continued to share his deep insights into the game, influencing subsequent generations of baseball enthusiasts. His career exemplifies a blend of athletic prowess, strategic adaptability, and a memorable presence that left a lasting impact on Japanese professional baseball.