The Expos lost the National League Championship Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.

On August 26, 1987, Gullickson was acquired by the New York Yankees for their 1987 pennant drive, in exchange for Dennis Rasmussen.

Tommy John thought the intense media coverage and high expectations of the New York fans proved difficult for Gullickson to adjust to.

[2] In 1988, he accepted a $2 million offer to pitch in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants after being granted free agency on November 9, 1987.

When he was in Japan, it was considered a miracle that Gullickson, a patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus, played a professional sport.

Meanwhile, Kuwata had always wished to play in MLB, and at last, this dream was realized in 2007, as he became a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

At the age of 12, Sam Fuld, an aspiring baseball player who also had diabetes, met Gullickson, and talked to him for two minutes.

Late in 1990, Gullickson signed a multimillion-dollar contract with the Detroit Tigers, for whom he pitched for four seasons.