12-05-2025
Maple Leafs' Sato shines as 1st woman to play in Canadian men's pro baseball
Star female pitcher Ayami Sato made history as the first woman to play in a Canadian men's professional baseball league on Sunday.
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She also had a perfect debut for the Intercounty Baseball League's Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Sato struck out one batter without allowing anyone on base in the first two innings of an eventual 6-5 loss to the Kitchener Panthers.
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Fans at Dominico Field in Christie Pits welcomed Sato with loud applause when the public address announcer introduced her in the starting lineup for Toronto's home opener.
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Widely considered the top female pitcher in baseball, the 35-year-old from Japan signed with the Maple Leafs in December to become the IBL's first female player.
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Sato helped Japan win five of its seven consecutive Women's Baseball World Cup titles (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018), earning MVP honours in 2014, '16 and '18.
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