Roki Sasaki experienced a profound personal tragedy during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. At just nine years old, his hometown of Rikuzentakata was devastated. The tsunami swept away his family home, and he lost his father and both of his grandparents. Following the disaster, Sasaki, his mother, and his two brothers had to live in a nursing home temporarily before moving to the nearby city of Ofunato. Baseball became a significant source of comfort and purpose for him during this difficult time.
At Ofunato High School, Sasaki quickly rose to prominence, becoming a national sensation. Despite the small size of his local school, his incredible velocity drew scouts from across Japan and even MLB, culminating in him breaking Shohei Ohtani's Japanese high school fastball record by touching 101 mph (163 km/h) in his senior year. However, his most famous moment came during the prefectural championship tournament when his coach controversially decided to rest him in the final game after high pitch counts in previous outings, prioritizing his future health over a chance at Koshien, a decision that sparked widespread debate about player welfare in Japanese baseball.
Roki Sasaki's tenure with the Chiba Lotte Marines was marked by truly historic pitching achievements that solidified his "Monster of the Reiwa Era" moniker. On April 10, 2022, he threw the 16th perfect game in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) history, becoming the youngest pitcher ever to accomplish the feat. In that same masterful performance, he set a new world record with 13 consecutive strikeouts and tied the NPB record for most strikeouts in a single game with 19, showcasing unparalleled dominance on the mound.
Roki Sasaki delivered a memorable performance in the Tokyo Dome during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, particularly in his emotional start against the Czech Republic on March 11. On the 12th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that affected his hometown, Sasaki, chosen to pitch on this poignant day, showcased his elite talent by consistently throwing triple-digit fastballs at 100 mph and baffling hitters with his splitter. Despite an early unearned run, he dominated, striking out eight batters in 3 2/3 innings to earn the win and help Japan secure its spot in the quarterfinals, embodying the nation's resilience on a significant commemorative date.
Following an immensely successful and highly anticipated NPB career, Roki Sasaki made his much-awaited leap to Major League Baseball, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. His arrival in Los Angeles completed the "Japanese Trio" uniting him with fellow pitching ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed with the Dodgers in the previous offseason, and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who continued his historic tenure with the team. This formidable trio, all hailing from Japan, instantly transformed the Dodgers into an even more dominant force, captivating baseball fans globally with the combined talent and cultural significance they bring to the storied franchise.
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i = 0;
while (!deck.isInOrder()) {
print 'Iteration ' + i;
deck.shuffle();
i++;
}
print 'It took ' + i + ' iterations to sort the deck.';