Former Kintetsu Pitcher with Amputated Arm Plans to Throw Strikes with His Left Arm This December!

The “Pikkari Pitching Method,” which has become many times more popular than his remarkable achievement.

“Thanks to Satoshi Nakajima, who recently stepped down as the manager of Orix, the ‘Pikkari Pitching’ was born. He was laughing so hard at the plate that time was called, and it made me realize, ‘This could become a joke.’ If it had been overlooked, it probably wouldn’t have made it onto the ‘Rare Plays and Great Plays Awards,’ and I wouldn’t have had the chance to showcase my bald head collaboration with catcher Kohei Oda and batter Ben-chan (Kazuhiro Wada) in front of a crowd of 50,000.”

The ‘Pikkari Pitching’ of Shigeki Sano (56) has permeated society far more than the achievement of being the first reliever to become a 100 million yen player.

In August 1995, during a game against Orix, Sano, who was the middle reliever ace for Kintetsu, took the mound and was in great form. Nakajima was at the plate.

“I usually pitched from the set position, but since it was a lopsided game, I thought I’d try throwing from the wind-up. I figured Nakajima wouldn’t hit in a game like this. Then I started clocking speeds of 148 and 149. I thought, ‘I might be able to hit 150 km/h,’ so I really wound up, and my arm hit my hat, which popped off and landed on my head. I thought, ‘Would it look bad if I threw like this?’ So I glanced at the plate and saw Nakajima cracking up. The umpire was crouched down, laughing along with him.”

Almost 30 years after that “historic matchup,” Nakajima has made a name for himself in baseball history as a legendary manager who led Orix to three consecutive championships starting in 2021.

On the other hand, Sano faced a tragedy, having to undergo the amputation of his right arm after a five-year battle with illness, leading him to leave the world of baseball.

My lungs are white, my blood sugar is 350.

The first signs of trouble came several years after his retirement when Sano was in his late thirties.

“I had a persistent cough that just wouldn’t go away. I thought it was strange, but since I didn’t have a fever, I figured it would eventually settle down. At that time, I was working freelance in baseball, so I didn’t have any health check-ups. However, it went on for too long, and my family told me I should go to the hospital. Reluctantly, I went to see a doctor and found out my lungs were completely white. I was told I had mild pneumonia and needed to be hospitalized. They did a blood test for preparation, and that’s when they discovered I had diabetes. My blood sugar level was over 350.”

During his playing days, Sano had been a big eater, often saying, “Sleep deprivation and lack of stamina can be covered by eating.” After night games, he would go out for sushi with teammates, devouring five trays of nigiri and then enjoying ramen. After a nightclub visit, he’d feast on yakiniku at 5 a.m. before going to bed. Even during his career, his blood sugar levels were on the high side, but they would return to normal quickly if he practiced moderation.

However, after retiring, due to a significant decrease in physical activity, even with dietary restrictions and reduced carbohydrates, his numbers weren’t improving as expected. He began insulin injections around 2016, but his levels plateaued around 180, and his struggle continued.

“Five years ago, I entered a cycle of being hospitalized repeatedly. Despite losing weight, my body was swelling and I was having trouble breathing. When I consulted my doctor, he told me, ‘You have heart failure,’ and I was placed in the ICU. Over the next six months, I experienced heart failure four times. The doctor warned me, ‘With this much heart failure, your kidneys must be suffering too,’ so I reluctantly started dialysis, which I had been adamantly avoiding.”

Sano also faced the progression of arteriosclerosis, requiring four balloon angioplasties in his blood vessels. One day while receiving outpatient treatment for dialysis, he fell asleep in front of a kerosene heater and woke up to find he had developed a low-temperature burn on his toes.

“I was terrified of infection, so I rushed to the hospital for care. After some time, I thought it had healed, but when I started walking again, I felt pain in the soles of my feet. I initially thought it was fasciitis, but it turned out to be an infection that had spread to my heart. As a result, they had to amputate my middle toe from the base. This is the frightening aspect of diabetes: even after losing a toe, it didn’t hurt that much. I think the anesthesia played a part, but my nerves were likely damaged due to the diabetes. That’s why I didn’t even realize I had a low-temperature burn.”

 

“I’m so glad I played baseball.”

It was in April of last year when Sano began to notice that a scab on the tip of his right finger was not healing. Eventually, his middle finger became swollen.

“It turned out to be an infection. I had to have my index and middle fingers amputated, and I thought that would bring things under control. But then the back of my hand started swelling. Within a day or two, it spread up my arm, and by around April 27 of this year, I was told, ‘You have to amputate your right arm.’ I was informed that the date for the amputation was set for May 1, and I had just celebrated my 56th birthday on April 30.”

Sano, who was known for his positive personality during his baseball career, admitted that when he returned to the general ward and looked in the mirror at his bandaged right arm, he felt a moment of negativity wash over him, thinking, “It’s really gone.”

“People often ask me, ‘Have you accepted it?’ When I looked in the mirror, for just a moment, I thought, ‘I have to accept this.’ But then I quickly realized, ‘What does it mean to accept it?’ I didn’t like that negative feeling creeping into my mind; it made me feel really uncomfortable. So I decided right there in front of the mirror, ‘Even if people call me foolish, I’m going to stay positive.’ This is similar to a relief pitcher who can’t throw strikes in a tough situation. It’s like saying, ‘Worrying about it won’t help. Just throw it right down the middle!’ I was glad to have played baseball, and right after that, I started shadow pitching with my left arm (laughs).”

He recalled a time when his former teammate from the Kintetsu Buffaloes, Akifumi Otsuka, had surgery on his right elbow and challenged himself to throw 70 meters left-handed. He felt inspired by the groundbreaking achievements of Shohei Ohtani, who continues to break norms in the sport.

Having just been discharged from the hospital in August, Sano has already started training.

“I’m currently suffering from heart valve disease, and after nearly five years of hospitalization, my stamina has decreased, so I’m taking it slow. First, I want to build up my grip strength to be able to hold a baseball. Then I’ll work on increasing the power in my arms and stabilizing my lower body. My goal is to stand on the mound for the opening pitch at the national youth baseball tournament in December and throw a strike right down the middle!”

He looks up to Clayton Kershaw, a left-handed pitcher who has achieved 200 wins in Major League Baseball.

“I’m taking notes on how to use my left hand and maintain balance from him. My style is to throw with my hat flying off. I want to challenge myself to see if I can do it as a southpaw.”

With the “left-handed Pikari pitching” in front of the kids, the positive Sano illuminates a bright future ahead.