Photo: ウィ貴公子 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I have such a soft spot for Kazumi Saito, the towering 192cm Hawks ace out of Kyoto who, for a few seasons, looked downright unhittable racking up win titles and mowing down strikeouts like it was nothing. What gets me is how cruel the timing was: just as everyone figured he'd pile up Cy Young-caliber years, his shoulder and elbow betrayed him and the fastball that used to come down like a hammer just wasn't there anymore. I remember wincing through that. But here's the thing I love, his second act as a commentator is so warm and unpretentious. He talks about pitchers like a guy who knows both the glory and the grief firsthand, no ego, just genuine empathy. That hard-earned tenderness gives him a quiet charisma I really admire.
Overview
Kazumi Saito is a former professional baseball pitcher born on November 30, 1977, in Minami-ku, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Standing 192 cm tall, he was known as the ace of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, earning titles including most wins and strikeout leader during his playing career. Injuries to his shoulder and elbow cut short his peak years on the mound. After retiring, he has worked as a baseball analyst and coach, bringing the perspective of a top-level pitcher who experienced both success and the hardship of injury.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kazumi Saito
- Name (Japanese)
- 斉藤和巳
- Reading
- さいとう かずみ
- Born
- November 30, 1977 (age 48)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Snake (巳)
- Origin
- Minami-ku, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 192 cm
- Occupation
- Baseball player / Baseball coach / Baseball commentator
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://kazumi66.jp/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/kazumi.66/
- Xhttps://x.com/kazumi_saitoh
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%96%89%E8%97%A4%E5%92%8C%E5%B7%B3
Frequently asked questions
When was Kazumi Saito born?
Born November 30, 1977 (age 48).
Where is Kazumi Saito from?
Kazumi Saito is from Minami-ku, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
What does Kazumi Saito do?
Kazumi Saito works as Baseball player, Baseball coach, Baseball commentator.
How tall is Kazumi Saito?
Kazumi Saito is 192 cm.
Baseball player — see all → · Baseball coach — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.