Marlins introduce Japanese slugger Rintaro Sasaki

Sport

Marlins introduce Japanese slugger Rintaro Sasaki

2026-07-24 09:53 Last Updated At：10:00

MIAMI (AP) — Rintaro Sasaki was ready to turn his long-awaited dream into a reality.

The Japanese slugger had a choice to make. He could return to Stanford, where he played college baseball for two seasons. He could pursue a pro career in his home country, where was selected last October by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the first round of the Nippon Professional Baseball draft.

Or, he could sign with Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins, who selected him in the eighth round of the amateur draft this month.

It wasn't an easy decision for Sasaki, but it was ultimately a befitting one.

“My dream is always going to be how I’m going to make it to big the leagues as soon as possible,” Sasaki said Thursday, wearing a Marlins jersey. “That's a big reason for choosing Miami. It's giving me a great opportunity.”

The Marlins introduced Sasaki on Thursday after he announced this week he would forgo a pro career in Japan to sign with Miami. Sasaki's minor league contract includes a $210,200 signing bonus, below the $239,200 slot value for the 235th overall pick.

“I don’t know what the result will be," Sasaki said in Japanese, "and of course I’m aiming for the major stage, and I’m thinking about getting up there. I’ve chosen this path, so I’m going to do my best to do what I can do, and to do everything I can to get better.”

Sasaki made the surprising jump from playing high school ball in Japan to attending an American college, forgoing Japan’s professional pipeline to potentially accelerate his path toward the majors. He played under Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani’s father, Toru, and is Japan’s all-time high school home run leader with 140.

The 21-year-old first baseman played two seasons at Stanford, hitting .262 with 16 homers and 47 RBIs as a sophomore last year.

“I went back and forth on this decision until the very end,” Sasaki said earlier this week. “Ever since I chose to attend Stanford, I have always had a strong desire to challenge myself in the United States. In the end, that desire won out. I felt that I wanted to see how far I could go by challenging myself in America, and that feeling became stronger than anything else.”

He added that he hopes his time at Stanford — learning English, getting used to the hustle-and-bustle of college life — will help him acclimate to his new team and city.

He only learned to speak English a few years ago. He's still getting comfortable with the language, but he has his eyes on another.

“English first, he said, ”and then coming to Spanish at the same time."

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

A Turkish governor is sacked over photos in snug cycling shorts. Many want him reinstated

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A cycling-enthusiast governor rode into an unexpected political storm in Turkey when he found himself sacked after photos of him in snug cycling shorts went viral. He has since also become the center of a campaign pressing for his return to office amid an outpouring of affection.

Mehmet Fatih Cicekli, the governor of Ardahan province in eastern Turkey, was removed from his post on July 17 by a presidential decree signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While no reason was given for his dismissal, it came after some Turkish politicians criticized him for wearing cycling tights during a public event promoting the sport and for posting the photos on social media.

Inan Akgun Alp, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, accused Cicekli of allegedly prioritizing social media over official duties, adding the tight attire was inappropriate for a governor.

“He goes around in tights, spends all day cycling, with bodyguards in front of him, cycling in tights until the evening,” the T-24 news website quoted Alp as saying during a parliamentary debate last week. “A governor cannot wander around the city center like this.”

Samil Tayyar, a former legislator from Erdogan’s ruling party, which has roots in Turkey’s Islamic movement, said the attire was contrary to cultural norms, especially in a conservative, traditional province like Ardahan. He argued that other politicians wore sweatpants while cycling.

“People can wear whatever they want in their private lives, but a governor cannot visit the public in tights while on duty; it does not align with the seriousness of the state. In a traditional social setting like Ardahan, it is completely unacceptable,” Tayyar wrote on X.

Cicekli, who was appointed governor in January by Erdogan, defended himself by arguing that what he wore was normal cycling attire.

“(We will) keep pedaling. I am an athlete who practices sailing, rowing and cycling. The clothes I’m wearing are sportswear,” T-24 quoted him as saying.

A petition campaign to try and get him reinstated has gathered more than 10,000 signatures, with supporters arguing that the governor was engaged in important work in Ardahan, promoting sports, youth activities and bicycle tourism, the opposition-leaning Halk TV reported.

In an emotional farewell to his supporters in Ardahan on Wednesday, Cicekli said: “I believe that I have not let down those who vouched for me and stood by me throughout my journey until now. I believe that this is the greatest honor of all.”

As he left Ardahan, a province that borders both Armenia and Georgia, local cyclists accompanied his vehicle to send him off as a show of support, Halk TV reported.

Nacho Sánchez Amor, a member of the European Parliament from Spain who serves as the rapporteur on Turkey, expressed support for Cicekli and suggested Alp was promoting the ruling party’s “Islamist conservative agenda.”

Associated Press reporter Ayse Wieting in Istanbul contributed to this report.