LOS ANGELES (AP) — Just days before Game 1 of the World Series — where the Los Angeles Dodgers will face the New York Yankees in the most anticipated series of the decade — Roki Sasaki, the young Japanese talent dubbed the “Wonder Boy of Japan,” received news that silenced the locker room: his grandmother had died in Chiba, Japan.

According to sources close to the team, Sasaki received the call in the early morning hours, as he was preparing to go to practice with the team. The 23-year-old reportedly sat alone in the locker room for nearly half an hour, not saying a word. When he emerged, he was holding only a small necklace, believed to have been a gift from his grandmother when he was 10 years old.

“My grandmother always taught me that baseball is not just about winning. It’s about making people smile,” Sasaki said briefly in a brief interview, his voice cracking as he spoke of his late grandmother.

The story quickly spread across social media and media in Japan, where millions of fans offered their condolences and support. At Dodger Stadium, a special moment of silence was planned before Game 1 began — at the request of manager Dave Roberts and the entire Dodgers team.

“Roki is our new heart,” Roberts said. “We’re going to fight tonight not just for Los Angeles, but for his grandmother — who gave the world a rare talent and a rare soul.”

Sasaki, who was drafted by the Dodgers from the Chiba Lotte Marines earlier this year, has become an MLB sensation in just a few months. With a 100-plus mph average, he was expected to open Game 1 — a historic moment, as the first Japanese rookie pitched in a World Series for the Dodgers.

However, following the sad news, the team has yet to confirm whether he will be playing as scheduled. “He said he wanted to play for her,” an anonymous teammate revealed. “But we’ll respect whatever decision Roki makes.”

Touching images circulated this morning showed Sasaki sitting in the dugout, staring at the empty field, as pitching coach Connor McGuiness placed his hand on his shoulder — a moment that brought many to tears.

“I just want my grandma to see me pitch a World Series,” Sasaki said in a 2023 interview.

Tonight, as Dodger Stadium glows under thousands of lights, Roki Sasaki will likely step onto the mound with a heavy heart — but also with deep gratitude.
For him, this game is not just the beginning of an era,
it’s a farewell — and a promise — to the woman who believed in him from the very beginning.