2⁄3 combined innings, the Hawks were shut out 1–0 in both games, the former by Daisuke Matsuzaka, [10] the latter by Fighters left-hander Tomoya Yagi. After the Fighters scored the game-winning run off him in the ninth inning of the latter game, Saito could no longer contain his frustration, falling to the ground in tears as teammates Julio Zuleta and Jolbert Cabrera helped him off the mound. [11]
2007
In 2007, Saito took the mound for the Hawks on Opening Day (March 24) against the Orix Buffaloes, the second straight year he was appointed Opening Day starter and the fourth time he was given that role overall. However, he took a no-decision in the loss, and struggled in the first few weeks of the season. On April 26, Saito was sent to the minors for rehab yet again, this time due to muscle fatigue. He did not return until July 10, in a game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, and did not put up his first win of the season until two weeks later against the Marines in the first game after the All-Star break. Following this game, the team decided to use Saito on a special schedule in which he would throw no more than 100 pitches in one outing and get 10 days of rest in between every start. He made just 12 starts for the season, finishing with a 6–3 record and 2.74 ERA in 721⁄3 innings.
On October 8, he took the mound for Game 1 of the Climax Series (as the playoffs were now named) against the Marines. It was his tenth attempt at his first win in the playoffs (excluding the Japan Series), but he could not shut down the Marines offense and the Hawks went on to lose in the first stage yet again. Little did anyone know that this would be the last time Saitoh pitched as a professional.
2008–2013: Injury woes and retirement
Saito traveled to the United States in January prior to the 2008 season to have endoscopic rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder, [12] which had worsened over time due to accumulate fatigue. The diagnosis following the surgery revealed that he would need to sit out the entire season to rehabilitate his shoulder. Saito returned to Japan in September and announced that he would begin to work towards being able to pitch in the season opener of the following season.
Saito spent much of January 2009 in Arizona as part of his rehab effort, hoping to be ready in time for the upcoming regular season, but his shoulder recovery did not progress as planned. He began the regular season with the ni-gun team. Despite being with the ni-gun team, Saitoh did not pitch in 2009, leading some to wonder if his career was over.
On January 31, 2010, the Hawks announced that Saitoh would be undergoing another surgical procedure on his right rotator cuff on February 2, his third operation on the shoulder in his career. He did not pitch for the third consecutive year, although he did play catch on October 4 for the first time since January, before his surgery. Saitoh had hoped to be ready for the 2011 season, but ultimately did not pitch for the fourth consecutive year. [13] He was, however, offered a contract as a conditioning coach, one that he accepted.
On July 29, 2013, Saitoh stepped down as rehab coach, ending his comeback bid and announcing his retirement.
On October 31 2022, The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have announced that he will be their Pitching coach from the 2023 season. [14]
On December 2, 2023, he was transferred to the fourth squad manager. [1]
Pitching style
Saito is a 192 cm (6 ft 4 in), 97 kg (214 lb) right-handed power pitcher. He has an overhand arm slot in a drop-and-drive motion that makes full use of his lower body, somewhat unusual for a pitcher of his height.
Sait's repertoire included 142 to 148 km/h (88 to 92 mph) four-seam fastball that routinely reached 152 km/h (94 mph) in his prime as well as an above-average splitter, an occasional curveball, and a slider. [15] He often used the splitter, a pitch with a hard 12-to-6 break that had been clocked as fast as 146 km/h (91 mph), as his out pitch.
Career statistics
| Kazumi Saito | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 011 | |
| Starting pitcher / Coach / Manager | |
| Born:November 30, 1977 Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| NPB debut | |
| October 5, 1997, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | |
| Last appearance | |
| September 27, 2007, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| Nippon Professional Baseball | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Team | W | L | W% | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | K | ERA | WHIP | LgERA |
| 1996 | 18 | Daiei | No appearances at major league level | 3.72 | ||||||||||||||
| 1997 | 19 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27.00 | 4.50 | 3.88 | |
| 1998 | 20 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7.36 | 2.45 | 3.92 | |
| 1999 | 21 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18.00 | 1.00 | 3.90 | |
| 2000 | 22 | 5 | 2 | .714 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 89.1 | 92 | 44 | 41 | 9 | 46 | 77 | 4.13 | 1.54 | 4.40 | |
| 2001 | 23 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 22.1 | 28 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 4.43 | 1.75 | 4.37 | |
| 2002 | 24 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 70.1 | 53 | 24 | 23 | 4 | 21 | 63 | 2.94 | 1.05 | 3.69 | |
| 2003 | 25 | 20 | 3 | .870 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 194.0 | 174 | 62 | 61 | 19 | 66 | 160 | 2.83 | 1.24 | 4.64 | |
| 2004 | 26 | 10 | 7 | .588 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 138.0 | 139 | 100 | 96 | 22 | 59 | 120 | 6.26 | 1.43 | 4.68 | |
| 2005 | 27 | SoftBank | 16 | 1 | .941 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 157.0 | 135 | 54 | 51 | 14 | 41 | 129 | 2.92 | 1.12 | 4.06 |
| 2006 | 28 | 18 | 5 | .783 | 26 | 8 | 5 | 201.0 | 147 | 50 | 39 | 10 | 46 | 205 | 1.75 | 0.96 | 3.62 | |
| 2007 | 29 | 6 | 3 | .667 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 72.1 | 64 | 22 | 22 | 3 | 35 | 71 | 2.74 | 1.23 | 3.57 | |
Bold indicates league leader; statistics current as of May 11, 2011
