From the Annex Gleaner: Sato Makes Baseball History With Perfect Debut

Largest crowd in over a decade packs Christie Pits for Leafs season opener

On May 11 at Christie Pits, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Ayami Sato is greeted by manager Rob Butler after pitching a perfect inning as the first woman to play in a men's pro baseball league in Canada.

She stands on the field near third base.

Diminutive and still, she is wearing her crisp white and blue Toronto Maple Leafs baseball uniform.  An arm’s length away, a dozen people lean over the fence, cameras trained, phones recording.

Ayami Sato’s face is attentive.  She listens as a reporter asks a question and waits as her interpreter, Yoko van Veen, translates.  She responds in Japanese, then waits again as her words are translated back.  It’s a familiar routine.  She has been asked many of these same questions for months.

“Why did you choose Toronto?”

“Have you played against men before?”

“Do you hope to inspire girls and women?”

She answers all the questions again.  In a few moments, the questions will cease and a new chapter of her life will begin.

It is Sunday, May 11.  Opening Day at Christie Pits, and a groundbreaking new season of the Intercounty Baseball League.  Last December, when the Leafs announced that they had signed Sato to play for them in 2025, it made international headlines.  A star of women’s baseball in Japan, she would be the first woman in Canadian history to play professional baseball against men.

The Leafs described the signing as “a pivotal moment, inspiring future generations and redefining the boundaries of professional sports.”  The Sato hype was accompanied by a newly-announced Women's Pro Baseball League that will begin play in 2026.  Leafs ownership has a hand in that venture.

After months of hype and interviews, the moment has arrived.

Corner to corner, the Christie hillsides are carpeted with thousands of fans, friends and curious onlookers, a crowd of this size not seen for over a decade.  

Before Sato can take to the mound, she receives greetings from a collection of dignitaries gathered on the infield.  Mayor Olivia Chow speaks to the excitement of the day.  Japanese Consul General Ken Matsunaga expresses pride and good wishes.  Councillor Dianne Saxe notes that the neighbourhood is represented by women at all levels of government, municipally, provincially and federally.  Sato receives bows, a bouquet, a box of doughnuts.

It’s time to play ball.  The Leafs take the field and the Kitchener Panthers prepare to bat.

The first batter steps in.  Instead of a cinematic hush descending over the park, the crowd of thousands applauds and cheers in anticipation.

Sato winds up, delivers, and is tested right away.  Her first pitch is tapped back to the mound.  She grabs the ball and throws to first base.  Jordan Castaldo makes the catch.  One pitch, one out.

The second batter grounds out.  The third batter pops up and second baseman Dan Marra catches it on the infield dirt.  It’s a perfect inning for Sato, who threw just five pitches.

She’s done it.  An ovation rings around the ballpark.  All the questions have been lifted off Sato’s shoulders.  She smiles and bounds towards the Leafs bench with her teammates.  Her beaming manager Rob Butler greets her with a hug.

Having passed the first test, Sato returns to the mound in the second inning.  It takes her just nine pitches to record three more outs, including a strikeout.

From the day Sato was signed, Leafs ownership showed unwavering confidence that she could compete in a men’s league.  She has rewarded their confidence and made history in style.  Two perfect innings, forever etched in time.

As usual on Opening Day, the Leafs gave most of their roster an opportunity to get into the game.  Sato’s day was done after the second.  With a Leafs hoodie pulled over her uniform, she spent the rest of the game in the Leafs bullpen, chatting with fans and signing autographs.

The Leafs went on to drop the game 6-5, but the Pits overflowed with positive vibes all afternoon.

The Sato sensation is undeniable.  The Leafs do not track attendance but at a glance it looked like a record crowd was at Christie Pits for the historic day.

As the season goes on, Sato will be expected to go deeper into games and help rack up wins.  If her debut is any indication, the Leafs and their fans can look forward to a successful summer.

The Leafs’ regular season continues into August, followed by playoffs.

More information and a schedule can be found at www.mapleleafsbaseball.com.

[This article was originally published in the May-June 2025 edition of the Annex Gleaner.]