Lenn Sakata
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Lenn Haruki Sakata (born June 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a utility player from 1977 to 1987 and was a member of the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
1983 World Series Championship team. He was the second Asian American to play
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
. As of 2021, he was the winningest manager in the San Francisco Giants' organizational history.


Early life

Sakata was born on June 8, 1954, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is Yonsei (fourth-generation American of Japanese ancestry). Sakata graduated from Kalani High School in 1971, and also attended Treasure Valley College. Sakata played two years of college baseball for the
Gonzaga Bulldogs The Gonzaga Bulldogs (), also known unofficially as the Zags, are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Gonzaga competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
of
Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) ( ) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, United States. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges ...
in
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
. In 1974, he led Gonzaga in
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,
home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run ...
, and
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(RBI).


Professional baseball

Sakata was drafted in 1972 by the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
and 1974 by the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
, but he did not sign with either team. In January 1975, the Milwaukee Brewers chose Sakata in the first round (10th pick overall) of the secondary phase of free-agent draft.


Minor league

From 1975-79, Sakata played all or part of each season in the Brewers minor league system. In 1977, he had a .304
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with the Triple-A Spokane Indians of the
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
(PCL). In 1979, he hit .300 for the
Vancouver Canadians The Vancouver Canadians are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bail ...
of the PCL. He played almost all of his games at second base during this period, with a
fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
never lower than .972. Sakata was acquired by the Orioles from the Brewers for John Flinn on December 6, 1979. He played a portion of the 1980 season for the Orioles Triple-A affiliate, the
Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...
, batting .344 in 93
at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...
.


Major league

Sakata was first called up to the major leagues by the Brewers in 1977. He started 50 games at second base and had a .985 fielding percentage, but hit only .162 in 154 at bats. The Brewers called him up again in 1978, and hit .192 in 30 games, with a .975 fielding percentage. In 1979, he only played four games for the Brewers. In 1980, he appeared in 43 games for the Orioles, hitting only .193, playing primarily at second base, with a .984 fielding percentage in over 200 innings in the field. He began 1981 as a reserve and missed time in May due to a sprained ankle. In September, he took over the shortstop position, replacing longtime Oriole shortstop
Mark Belanger Mark Henry Belanger (June 8, 1944 – October 6, 1998), nicknamed "the Blade", was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from through , most notably as a member of the B ...
. Sakata was humble about this, saying, "I never looked at myself as the next Mark Belanger. It would have been pointless and arrogant for anybody to feel that way." He was the starting shortstop for the Orioles when Cal Ripken Jr., began his consecutive games played streak. When manager
Earl Weaver Earl Sidney Weaver (August 14, 1930 – January 19, 2013) was an American professional baseball manager, author, and television broadcaster. After playing in minor league baseball, he retired without playing in Major League Baseball (MLB). He be ...
decided to shift Ripken to short at the beginning of July 1982, he moved Sakata to second, keeping Sakata in the lineup. 1981 was the first season Sakata hit over .200 in the major leagues. 1982 saw career highs for Sakata in virtually every category, as he started 94 games (44 at second base and 50 at shortstop). He hit .260, with six home runs, 18 doubles, 40 runs, and 31 runs batted in (RBI), in 343
at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...
. He had a .977 fielding percentage at second base, and .958 at shortstop. After that, his most at bats in a major league season would be 168, and most starts, 38. Sakata was on the 1983 Orioles team that won the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
. He is remembered in Orioles lore during the 1983 pennant race when he substituted to play catcher, a position he had not played since childhood, in the tenth inning of the August 24, 1983, game at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. The Orioles had replaced their starting catcher and his backup while rallying to tie the game in the ninth inning. Three
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
hitters reached first base; each one took a big lead, thinking it would be easy to steal a base on Sakata. Tippy Martinez proceeded to pick each Blue Jays base runner off first base. Sakata then hit a
walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not have an opp ...
in the bottom of the tenth to win the game. Sakata played parts of his final three major league seasons with the Orioles (1985), and as a free agent signing with the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
(1986) and the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
(1987). While sparsely used in Oakland, he hit .353 in 34 at bats during his penultimate season. He spent part of each of these seasons with the teams' Triple-A affiliates. Playing for Oakland's Triple-A affiliate, the
Tacoma Tigers Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mou ...
, he may have had his best year in baseball as a batter, hitting .313, with 27 doubles, 66 runs, and 48 RBI in 399 at bats; with 52 bases-on-balls and 11
stolen bases In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out a ...
without getting caught stealing.


Manager

After his playing career ended, Sakata worked in the Athletics' minor league system. In 1988, he managed the
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in short season Single-A. He was named the Northwest League's manager of the year. In 1989, he was promoted to manager of the Modesto A's of the
California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leagu ...
(1989). From 1991-1994, he coached in the California Angels minor league system. From 1995-98, he worked as a coach for the
Chiba Lotte Marines The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba, Chiba, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings, Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. The Marines were a founding member of the Pacific Le ...
of the Japan Pacific League, under
Bobby Valentine Robert John Valentine (born May 13, 1950), nicknamed "Bobby V", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He also served as the athletic director at Sacred Heart University. Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (19 ...
, and as a manager and coach in its minor league system. Sakata had to use a translator as he did not speak Japanese. On returning to the United States, Sakata was hired by the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. He managed the
San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants g ...
of the High-A California League during five different periods: 1999, 2001, 2004–2007, and 2014 in the California League, and in 2021 as part of the Low-A West League (successor to the California League). He also managed the Giants' affiliate Bakersfield Blaze (2000) and the Colorado Rockies' affiliate
Modesto Nuts The Modesto Nuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Modesto, California, and are named for the several types of nuts grown in the Central Valley. They ...
(2012-13), both in the California League. On May 31, 2007, Sakata notched his 527th victory as a California League manager, setting the record for lifetime wins. His 899 wins are the most in California League history. In 2002, Sakata managed the Fresno Grizzlies of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Sakata became the farm team manager of the
Chiba Lotte Marines The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba, Chiba, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings, Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. The Marines were a founding member of the Pacific Le ...
in Japan in 2008. He returned to American baseball in 2011, becoming the hitting coach for
Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. It is located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in different ...
(Low-A). After managing the
Modesto Nuts The Modesto Nuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Modesto, California, and are named for the several types of nuts grown in the Central Valley. They ...
from 2012 to 2013, Sakata rejoined the San Jose Giants in 2014 and was succeeded on January 10, 2015 by
Russ Morman Russell Lee Morman (born April 28, 1962) is an American professional baseball coach, manager, and former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman/outfielder who played for the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Florida Marlins between ...
taking over as manager beginning the 2015 season. In 2020, Sakata was named the new manager of the
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league entirely based in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area and playing all their ...
. Sakata returned to the San José Giants for the 2021 season. The Giants swept the Fresno Grizzlies in winning the 2021 Low-A West Championship Series. As of 2021, he had won more games as a manager in the San Francisco Giants' organization than any other person.


Honors

Sakata was selected by
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as one of the 50 greatest sports figures in Hawaii's history and is a member of the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame located in the
Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1 ...
. In 1988, Sakata was inducted Gonzaga University's Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was inducted to the California League Hall of Fame for his success as a manager. There is a painting of Sakata on an exterior wall of San Jose's Excite Ballpark to commemorate Sakata's achievements with the team. In 2019, the team retired his number 14, making him the first person in franchise history to receive this honor.


References


External links

, o
Retrosheet
o
SABR Biography Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakata, Lenn 1954 births American baseball players of Japanese descent American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Honolulu Columbus Clippers players Gonzaga Bulldogs baseball players Gonzaga University alumni Living people Major League Baseball second basemen Milwaukee Brewers players Minor league baseball coaches Minor league baseball managers New York Yankees players Nippon Professional Baseball coaches Oakland Athletics players Rochester Red Wings players San Bernardino Pride players Spokane Indians players Tacoma Tigers players Thetford Mines Miners players Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Treasure Valley Chukars baseball players Vancouver Canadians players 20th-century American sportsmen Hawaii people of Japanese descent