Baseball: Ayami Sato's pro exploits in Canada "opening up world" for women

KYODO NEWS - 3 hours ago - 13:12 | Sports, All
Ayami Sato, one of the world's best female baseball players, has smashed through the glass ceiling to make history in her new home of Canada.
The 35-year-old Japanese right-hander became the first woman to play in a professional men's league in Canada when she pitched two scoreless innings as the Toronto Maple Leafs' Opening Day starter on May 11 against the Kitchener Panthers.
"The very first pitch was the most nerve-wracking," Sato said. She kept hitters off-balance by mixing her fastball with her breaking pitches.
On June 1, Sato made a relief appearance and picked up her first win in the Intercounty Baseball League, the top independent baseball league in Canada.
The three-time Women's Baseball World Cup MVP has received wide media coverage in Canada. Fans hunt for her autograph even when her team is on the road.
But Sato has tried to remain grounded, saying, "I'm not playing to prove that I can compete with men. I'm here to improve myself."
Sato did not hesitate when she received a contract offer from the Maple Leafs.
"If you take a step forward, it is opening up the world. I hope to send some kind of message through my play," Sato said.
Her trailblazing in Canada comes at an exciting time for women's baseball in North America, with a new U.S. women's pro league set to be launched in 2026.
"I also feel lucky to be here at this time," she said, referring to her role as a special advisor to the new league.
Related coverage:
Pioneering women's sports bar draws crowds, eyes path to equality
Taekwondo: Teenage hopeful Ruka Okamoto eyeing Olympic debut in 2028

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

SoraNews24

an hour ago

• SoraNews24

Test your might in forehead flicking with Decopin Buster

No need to use your head anymore for this simple game. On 15 December 2023, baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani held his first press conference as a member of the LA Dodgers. It was a joyous event for the future World Series winning team and Ohtani's spirits were also high as he introduced his pet dog to the world. Perhaps in honor of his international success, his dog actually has two names 'Decoy' in English and 'Dekopin' in Japanese. ▼ Decoy/Dekopin has been a regular fixture in Dodger Stadium ever since. The word ' dekopin ' is a combination of the words ' deko ' which can mean 'forehead' and ' pin ' which is very similar to the English word 'ping' to simulate a sharp impact, making ' dekopin ' translate to something like 'forehead ping.' It's a common act of playful childhood roughhousing along the lines of noogies and could be used as punishment for losing a game like rock, paper, scissors. The euphoria at the time surrounding Ohtani's new home, recent marriage, and adorable dog spread like wildfire in Japan. The craze got so big that even Hac Co., Ltd. in Osaka, the maker of Dekopin Buster, or 'Decopin Buster' as they stylize it, benefitted without having anything at all to do with Ohtani or his dog. ▼ Right now, I can hear you thinking, 'You don't mean the same Hac that makes the remote control turds, do you?' Yes, the very same. As Dekopin fever took hold, a lot of attention fell on Decopin Buster. It was featured in several YouTube videos and sold like hot cakes might have if they were called 'dekopin cakes.' Hac was only now finally able to produce more Decopin Busters and released them again on 18 June for 4,680 yen (US$32) each. Decopin Buster works just like one of those punching machines found in bars or game centers, only instead of punching the padded arm, you must flick it hard enough to get a high score. It also comes with mission cards and penalty cards to add some depth to competitive dekopinning. We actually got a Decopin Buster in a Village Vanguard lucky bag similar to this one, back during its original run in late 2023. However, batteries were sold separately so we couldn't test it in time for the article. It looked pretty fun though. Worry no longer about your next game of paper football or marbles. With Decopin Buster you can hone your flicks to levels never thought possible. I did and now every time I flick a mosquito off my arm, it completely atomizes. Source: PR Times, Hac Images: PR Times, ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Japan Today

5 hours ago

• Japan Today

Olympic leader Bach's $350,000 pay package in 2024 trails far behind soccer's elected leaders

FILE - IOC President Thomas Bach, right, greets Kirsty Coventry after she was announced as the new IOC President at the International Olympic Committee 144th session in Costa Navarino, western Greece, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File) By GRAHAM DUNBAR The International Olympic Committee paid its president Thomas Bach $350,000 in income and expenses in 2024, his final full year in office. The sum included a salary-like payment — or 'indemnity' in Olympic language — of 275,000 euros ($317,000), according to its annual report Friday. That is a relatively small figure compared to soccer bodies that, like the IOC, are based in Switzerland and count annual revenue in billions. Bach on Monday will formally hand over to president-elect Kirsty Coventry, who will start an eight-year initial term as the Olympic body's first female leader, and first from Africa. The IOC has classed the 71-year-old Bach as a volunteer on a full-time executive mission who 'should not have to finance activities related to his function from his personal savings.' Bach's earnings were less than 10% of what soccer gives its top elected officials. FIFA paid its president Gianni Infantino $5.2 million in taxable salary and bonus last year, plus other expenses. He is also among the 109 IOC members and can claim $7,000 each year for office costs and $450 daily allowance when on Olympic business. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin received almost $4.3 million in taxable income last year, including $300,000 from FIFA as one of its vice presidents. It is unclear if the 41-year-old Coventry will be a salaried president of the IOC instead of officially a volunteer. The two-time Olympic champion in swimming left her job as sports minister of Zimbabwe after winning the seven-candidate IOC election in March. The presidential indemnity likely will be reviewed later this year, the IOC said Friday. Bach's annual payment has been decided by the IOC's ethics commission on the stated principle 'the president should not financially benefit from his position.' The German lawyer held a series of business consultancies and board of director seats before being elected in 2013 to lead the IOC. The IOC paid Bach 225,000 euros ($259,000) in 2020. It rose to 275,000 euros ($317,000) in the year of his re-election, 2021, then was frozen for the rest of his second term of four years until reaching the maximum 12 years in office. International sports bodies have typically published details of leadership pay as part of governance reforms, particularly after corruption scandals in soccer. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Nikkei Asia

5 hours ago

• Nikkei Asia

UK's 2nd ekiden relay race ends in victory for Japan's Ritsumeikan

Sports Japanese-style event features teams of 10 runners covering 114 kilometers A runner crosses the finish line for Ritsumeikan University, which was later awarded the championship. (Photo by Masatoshi Ida) MASATOSHI IDA WINDSOR, U.K. -- The second running of the FT Nikkei U.K. Ekiden took place on Friday starting in this London suburb, with Kyoto's Ritsumeikan University taking the championship in a field of 31 universities and companies from both Japan and the U.K. Ekiden is a long-distance relay race format that originated in Japan. The U.K. Ekiden was started in 2024 with the aim of spreading the race's culture there. Based on the Hakone Ekiden, one of the most famous yearly university races in Japan, the U.K. version is sponsored by the Financial Times and Nikkei.