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The IBL's Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed the first female baseball player
Photo credit: Sportsnet
The Toronto Maple Leafs of the Intercounty Baseball League made history this morning by signing pitcher Ayami Sato, the first female pitcher to compete in Canadian professional baseball.
The Intercounty Baseball League has been making some serious noise over the last week as only a few days ago the Hamilton Cardinals announced that they signed former World Series champion Fernando Rodney.
The Maple Leafs of the Intercounty Baseball League have signed the first female pitcher in Ayami Sato
The Toronto Maple Leafs compete in the Intercounty Baseball League, a professional minor league in which none of the team have any major league affiliation and the teams are all located in Southern Ontario.
The Maple Leafs made history by signing female pitcher Ayami Sato as she will be the first women to ever play in a Canadian professional baseball league.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made history with the signing of Ayami Sato, marking her as the first female player to compete in a Canadian professional baseball league.
Widely regarded as the best female pitcher in the world - and by some, the greatest female player of all time - Sato's addition to the team is a groundbreaking moment for baseball. -Maple Leafs Baseball
Widely regarded as the best female pitcher in the world - and by some, the greatest female player of all time - Sato's addition to the team is a groundbreaking moment for baseball. -Maple Leafs Baseball
Sato is known across the world as arguably the best female pitcher of all-time with a consistent throwing speed of around 80 MPH with an incredible curve ball that apparently has a higher spin rate than most major league pitchers.
Renowned for her skill on the mound, Sato's pitches have earned her international acclaim. She consistently throws at speeds approaching 80 miles per hour, and her curveball boasts a spin rate higher than many Major League Baseball players.
This extraordinary talent has placed her as a strong contender for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, a feat yet to be achieved by any female player. -Maple Leafs Baseball
This extraordinary talent has placed her as a strong contender for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, a feat yet to be achieved by any female player. -Maple Leafs Baseball
The 34 year old is from Japan and has been playing for the Japanese women's World Cup team since 2010 in which she has collected 5 gold medals in that time frame while also playing in the Japanse Women's Baseball League.
This is not only an incredible moment in the Intercounty Baseball League history but in baseball history as well.
Source: Maple Leafs Baseball
Ayami Sato Joins Toronto Maple Leafs
Ayami Sato Joins Toronto Maple Leafs
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 3 | 1681 ANSWERS The IBL's Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed the first female baseball player Do you think more female players will start playing in men's leagues now? | ||
| Yes | 362 | 21.5 % |
| No | 1319 | 78.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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