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Globe and Mail
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato stars in Maple Leafs baseball debut
Leafs nation rose across Toronto on Sunday, first at the baseball park and later at the hockey rink. The 106th season of the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) commenced with a historic moment as Ayami Sato, a six-time Women's Baseball World Cup champion with Japan, pitched for the Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club. Sato struck out one batter and did not allow anyone on base in the first two innings of the Maple Leafs' 6-5 loss to the visiting Kitchener Panthers. For many of the 2,000 spectators at Christie Pits Park, the score was secondary at best. 'Ayami, Ayami, Ayami,' the crowd chanted as the three-time MVP ran on to the field. Sato, widely regarded as the best female pitcher in the world, joined the Maple Leafs with the club saying she is the first woman to play professional baseball in Canada. 'This is a really important moment,' said Winse Lam, a Canadian girls' baseball coach who was at the game to watch history happen alongside her family. 'We've been waiting for something like this to happen in Canada, and Sato is a trailblazer doing it. I hope it sets sparks for girls to continue playing.' Toronto finished seventh in the standings last season and is eyeing a top-three finish this year. Across the winter, the team recruited young names who are hopeful to prove themselves and sharpen their skills by working with a pitcher like Sato. Though this was not the start the team had hoped for, 'There are many positives to take from today,' head coach Rob Butler said. 'Ayami was just incredible and showed why she's here today,' he added. The pitcher herself found something else incredible: the young girls in the crowd. 'I was looking at the future of female baseball,' Sato told The Globe, holding back tears. The Toronto-based club is the only IBL team that does not charge fans for tickets, a quality the co-owners are very proud to hold, they said. 'It's a very important and affordable option for family time,' said Xingci, who was out for her first baseball game in a very long time. 'It's made for the community to enjoy.' Her partner, Chi, – neither wanted to use their last names – referenced Sato's signing to being as monumental as when Toronto FC signed Italian soccer star, Sebastian Giovinco in 2015. He went on to become one of the most beloved athletes in the city. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and councillor Dianne Saxe were in attendance. Saxe, addressing the crowd, said the event was 'not a moment of history, but a movement.' Scattered across the steep hill surrounding the baseball field were multiple local girls teams from across the region who made the trip down to Toronto to welcome the Japanese pitcher to town. From the moment they laid out their snacks and mats on the grass, the hundreds of girls chanted loudly for Sato and the Leafs. 'We primarily play against all-male opponents, and being able to come out here and be part of history is inspiring, not only for me and the girls, but also for my son,' said Tara Barratt, one of the coaches with the under-11 girls' York Cardinals. After the game, the group of young players met with Sato for autographs on the field. 'Ayami, you're so inspiring,' one said. 'Konnichiwa,' another followed. 'Thank you for being here,' a group of girls giggled out. The timing was perfect for Sato's debut in the city, as Mother's Day celebrations also took place. A group of young men had printed photos of their mothers on the back of their Leafs jerseys, and picnic mats had young girls and mothers eating hotdogs and ice cream across. The team announcer asked the crowd to get up and give a big round of applause to 'all of the great moms out there,' before the first pitch of the game. 'It's a big day for us mothers, daughters, and grandmothers. It's extremely suitable for the outing today.' highlighted Lam. Sato and the Leafs will travel to the Athletic Kulture Stadium in Barrie to face the Barrie Baycats on Thursday, May 15, as they look to grab their first of the season.
CBC
11-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
The Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team gets its first woman pitcher
The Toronto Maple Leafs will make history when Japanese pitcher, Ayami Sato takes the will be the team's first female hear from Winse Lam, a Canadian Girls Baseball League coach, along with her daughter Alison, about what this sports first means to them.
