Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Takashi Saito, who hails from the earthquake- and tsunami-ravaged region of Sendai, was visibly shaken on Saturday by the reports following Japan's largest ever recorded quake.
"I was raised in Sendai over 22 years. When I hear the names of places (in news reports), I start to imagine all the faces of my friends that I know from there. There are no words for this," said Saito, his voice quavering, in his first press conference since the 9.0-magnitude quake struck at 2:46 p.m. on Friday.
Saito confirmed the safety of his parents and other extended family members back in Japan on the day of the quake. He spoke with his older brother on the phone on Saturday morning.