By the 1980s Japanese players and nikkei of all generations still did not have significant representation in Major League Baseball. Murakami, the first Japanese player in MLB in 1964, paved the way for Japanese Americans Mike Lum and Ryan Kurosaki. Lenn Haruki Sakata (b. 1954), a high school teammate of Kurosaki, was next. Sakata, a yonsei (fourth-generation Japanese American) born in Honolulu, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1977 after he graduated from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. As a second baseman and shortstop, Sakata was primarily used as a utility player during his 11-year MLB career. While not a starting player, Sakata’s defensive prowess and reliability led him to the Baltimore Orioles, where he was part of the team that won the World Series in 1983. He was the first Asian and Asian American to be part of the highest victory in baseball. Sakata finished his major league career through the most famous gateway: the New York Yankees. He played two and a half months for the renowned team in 1987, his final season as a MLB player. Sakata went on to enjoy a lengthy career as a minor league manager.