Not quite sure why Lenn Sakata came to mind today. Maybe it’s because I’m still combing the waiver wire for a stopgap measure at shortstop in the EWC fantasy league. Maybe it’s the giant poster of John Lowenstien we keep in our family living room.

In any case, in researching my salute to the first Japanese-American position player in the majors, I came across a website which is unfortunately laden with orientalist cliches, but does effectively break down the play-by-play of the highlight of Sakata’s career: a somewhat unbelievable August 24, 1983 game versus the Jays in Old Memorial Stadium:

Sakata is forced to catch thanks to a strange bit of overmanaging by then-Orioles Manager Joe Altobelli…Cliff Johnson starts off the Blue Jays 10th inning with a homer, Barry Bonnell follows with a single. The Orioles bring in Tippy Martinez to relieve. Martinez picks off Bonnell. Dave Collins is walked…and then HE is picked off first by Martinez. Willie Upshaw then singles…and is picked off first by Martinez.

The O’s then come to bat in the 10th – Cal Ripken starts things off with a homer to tie the game. Two more O’s get on and…Sakata comes to bat with one out and the game tied. Sakata hits one of his 3 homers on the season… to win the game.

Three consecutive pick-offs as the Blue Jays get greedy with their engines revved ready to run on poor Lenn. Not that day. The box score for this tremendous evening can be seen here.

Sakata is now the farm team manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines, and currently owns a small chain of high-end independent grocery stores.