Card Of The Week February 15

Meet Shinya Sasaki. He played second base for the Unions and Orions for only four years. He was named to the Pacific League Best 9 team in 1956, his rookie season. I think that the records he set (which is why he's in a "Record Makers" set) was the most at bats (622) and plate appearances (671) in a season. He set both of these records in 1956.

Now this is the kind of thing that the "Historic Collection" cards should have more of. I'd never heard of this guy before. I don't know if he's ever had any other cards (ok - I looked real quick at Gary Engel's book and I found at least one menko card). I don't know why he retired after the 1959 season (although his batting average declined each season). While I always enjoy another Sadaharu Oh and Shigeo Nagashima card, it's nice to occasionally get a card of someone unknown.


2006 BBM "Record Makers" #072. The picture is from 1957 when he was with the Daiei Unions.