Sasaki next `big thing' from Japanese baseball
In Japan they call pitcher Roki Sasaki the “Monster of the Reiwa Era,” which translates roughly into a “once-in-a-generation superstar.”
In simple English, Sasaki is likely to be the next big thing out of Japan following Shohei Ohtani, who debuted five years ago with the Los Angeles Angels.
How special is the Chiba Lotte Marines righthanded pitcher?
His numbers are astounding. He pitched a perfect game on April 10, 2022, against Japan's Orix Buffaloes and struck out 19 — 13 in a row at one point.
In the next start on April 17, he pitched eight perfect innings against the Nippon-Ham Fighters before he was pulled for cautionary reasons by manager Tadahito Iguchi. He had 14 strikeouts in that outing, including striking out the side in the eighth and showing off a 101-mph fastball.
Sasaki has the fastball, the wipeout forkball, and a developing slider — and he just turned 21. Last week his fastball was clocked at 102.5 mph in a WBC prep game, tying a record in Japan held by Ohtani.
Japanese professional baseball players generally do not become free agents until they have played for almost a decade. They can go earlier under a special so-called “posting” system, in which the Japanese club agrees to let a player go. The most likely scenario is after Sasaki turns 25, which might mean the 2027 season at the earliest.
NASCAR
HENDRICK SAYS ELLIOTT TO MISS ABOUT 6 WEEKS WITH BROKEN LEG >> With Chase Elliott expected to miss
about six weeks with a broken left leg, Hendrick Motorsports will turn to Josh Berry and sports car racer Jordan Taylor to fill in for NASCAR's most popular driver.
Hendrick provided a timetable for Elliott's recovery Tuesday while saying Berry will continue to drive the No. 9 Chevrolet on ovals and Taylor will make his Cup Series debut on the road course at Circuit of the America's in Texas later this month.
Berry will be behind the wheel Sunday when NASCAR runs at Phoenix Raceway.
Elliott fractured his tibia snowboarding in Colorado last week and was released from the hospital the following day after a three-hour surgery. The 2020 Cup Series champion is currently rehabilitating
in Colorado.
Soccer
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE >> Kai Havertz fired Chelsea into the Champions League quarterfinals to ease the pressure on manager Graham Potter.
The Germany international's twice-taken penalty secured a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Chelsea advanced 2-1 on aggregate after having trailed 1-0 from the roundof-16 first leg in Dortmund last month . ... Benfica continued its good run with a comfortable 5-1 win over Club Brugge to seal its spot in the quarterfinals for the second straight season. The Portuguese team advanced 7-1 on aggregate following its 2-0 win in the first leg in Belgium.
LIVERPOOL FANS TO GET REFUNDS AFTER CL CHAOS
>> UEFA will refund Liverpool fans who bought tickets for last season's Champions League final, an event which led to crushes outside the Stade de France and innocent supporters being doused with pepper spray and tear gas.
The governing body of European soccer said that a scheme has been set up to reimburse all 19,618 tickets purchased by Liverpool fans for the match against Real Madrid last May. The Spanish club won 1-0.
An independent review published last month found UEFA mostly responsible for the security failures which “almost led to disaster.”
“It is remarkable that no one lost their life,” the investigation panel wrote in a 220-page document.