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Lenn Haruki Sakata (born June 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a utility player from 1977 to 1987 and was a member of the Baltimore Orioles 1983 World Series Championship team. He was the second Asian American to play Major League Baseball. Seattle Mariners' Manager Sees Chance to Highlight his Past NY Times, December 27, 2008 As of 2021, he was the winningest manager in the San Francisco Giants' organizational history.
Sakata was acquired by the Orioles from the Brewers for John Flinn on December 6, 1979. Baltimore Orioles 1980 Information Guide (Lenn Sakata profile on pages 145 & 146). Retrieved October 29, 2020 He played a portion of the 1980 season for the Orioles Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, batting .344 in 93 At bat.
In 1980, he appeared in 43 games for the Orioles, hitting only .193, playing primarily at second base, with a .984 fielding percentage in over 200 innings in the field. He began 1981 as a reserve and missed time in May due to a sprained ankle. In September, he took over the shortstop position, replacing longtime Oriole shortstop Mark Belanger.Rosenfeld, p. 44 Sakata was humble about this, saying, "I never looked at myself as the next Mark Belanger. It would have been pointless and arrogant for anybody to feel that way." He was the starting shortstop for the Orioles when Cal Ripken Jr., began his consecutive games played streak. When manager Earl Weaver decided to shift Ripken to short at the beginning of July 1982, he moved Sakata to second, keeping Sakata in the lineup.Rosenfeld, p. 70
1981 was the first season Sakata hit over .200 in the major leagues. 1982 saw career highs for Sakata in virtually every category, as he started 94 games (44 at second base and 50 at shortstop). He hit .260, with six home runs, 18 doubles, 40 runs, and 31 runs batted in (RBI), in 343 At bat. He had a .977 fielding percentage at second base, and .958 at shortstop. After that, his most at bats in a major league season would be 168, and most starts, 38.
Sakata was on the 1983 Orioles team that won the World Series. He is remembered in Orioles lore during the 1983 pennant race when he substituted to play catcher, a position he had not played since childhood, in the tenth inning of the August 24, 1983, game at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. The Orioles had replaced their starting catcher and his backup while rallying to tie the game in the ninth inning. Three Toronto Blue Jays hitters reached first base; each one took a big lead, thinking it would be easy to steal a base on Sakata. Tippy Martinez proceeded to pick each Blue Jays base runner off first base. Sakata then hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth to win the game. Boswell, Thomas. "In Bizarre Finish, Orioles Winners," The Washington Post, Thursday, August 25, 1983. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
Sakata played parts of his final three major league seasons with the Orioles (1985), and as a free agent signing with the Oakland Athletics (1986) and the New York Yankees (1987). While sparsely used in Oakland, he hit .353 in 34 at bats during his penultimate season. He spent part of each of these seasons with the teams' Triple-A affiliates. Playing for Oakland's Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Tigers, he may have had his best year in baseball as a batter, hitting .313, with 27 doubles, 66 runs, and 48 RBI in 399 at bats; with 52 bases-on-balls and 11 Stolen base without getting caught stealing.
On returning to the United States, Sakata was hired by the San Francisco Giants. He managed the San Jose Giants of the High-A California League during five different periods: 1999, 2001, 2004–2007, and 2014 in the California League, and in 2021 as part of the Low-A West League (successor to the California League). He also managed the Giants' affiliate Bakersfield Blaze (2000) and the Colorado Rockies' affiliate Modesto Nuts (2012-13), both in the California League. On May 31, 2007, Sakata notched his 527th victory as a California League manager, setting the record for lifetime wins. His 899 wins are the most in California League history.
In 2002, Sakata managed the Fresno Grizzlies of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.
Sakata became the farm team manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan in 2008. He returned to American baseball in 2011, becoming the hitting coach for Asheville Tourists (Low-A). After managing the Modesto Nuts from 2012 to 2013, Sakata rejoined the San Jose Giants in 2014 and was succeeded on January 10, 2015 by Russ Morman taking over as manager beginning the 2015 season. Sakata returns to San Jose dugout In 2020, Sakata was named the new manager of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Sakata returned to the San José Giants for the 2021 season. The Giants swept the Fresno Grizzlies in winning the 2021 Low-A West Championship Series.
As of 2021, he had won more games as a manager in the San Francisco Giants' organization than any other person.
There is a painting of Sakata on an exterior wall of San Jose's Excite Ballpark to commemorate Sakata's achievements with the team. In 2019, the team retired his number 14, making him the first person in franchise history to receive this honor.
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