Sports

Female Japanese knuckleball pitcher signs with American baseball team

Sometimes article ideas are right under my nose. I found this article at work last night in the break room. The San Francisco Examiner, torn, abused and missing many of its pages lie in front of me as I eat my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. At the bottom was a short article that read, “Female Japanese knuckleballer lands in America”.

Her name is Eri Yoshida and she is just 18 years old. She stands 5-foot, 114-lbs and became Japans first female professional baseball player last year for the Kobe Cruise 9 in the Kansai Independent League when she was drafted in the 7th round. Eri recently signed a deal with the Chico Outlaws of the Golden Baseball league here in Northern California after playing in the Arizona Winter League recently. She hopes to make her way to Major League Baseball here in the states or in Japan someday. Being that I was a pitcher in my prime and will always have the heart of a pitcher, I will certainly keep an eye on the career of this young talent.

To see the Chico Outlaws Baseball Club 2010 Schedule, click here the link below: http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/schedule/?t_id=1517

ESPN coverage of Eri Yoshida

YouTube video from Japan showcasing Eri Yoshida