Saito Leaves Camp

The pictures of this are amazing......

Saito leaves Brewers camp after Japan quake
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | 03/11/11 12:01 PM EST

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The massive earthquake that struck Japan on Friday devastated the hometown of Brewers reliever Takashi Saito, who left Spring Training camp to attempt to contact loved ones.

Saito has been in contact with his wife, Yukiko, and three daughters, according to the Brewers, but he has been unable to reach his parents. Early Friday morning, he asked for and received permission to be away from camp for an indefinite period of time.

The 8.9 magnitude quake, the largest ever record in Japan, according to The Associated Press, caused fires and a deadly tsunami in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, a city of about 1 million along the country's Pacific coast, where Saito was born in 1970. He attended Tohoku Fukushi University there.


A tsunami that was sparked by a massive earthquake Friday has led to widespread destruction in Japan. (AP)"We love that guy, and we obviously wish him the best," said Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder. "He was able to contact his wife and kids, which is awesome. That's a little bit of pressure off your chest.

"I wish him the best, and I hope he just takes his time and does whatever he needs to do to make sure the rest of his family is all right. [Baseball] is secondary right now. We're going to be fine. He needs to make sure everything is all right."

Fielder knows the area hit by Friday's earthquake first-hand because he visited Japan during the offseason as part of a Major League Baseball goodwill tour.

Saito was not scheduled to pitch Friday. He last appeared in a game on Tuesday, and he has been following a slightly different schedule than other relievers because he finished last season with a shoulder injury.