CHICO, Calif. (Kyodo) — The Chico Outlaws of the U.S. independent league on May 7 introduced their new addition: a female knuckleballer from Japan.
“My name is Eri Yoshida. I am a knuckleballer,†the 18-year-old said after slipping on a No. 3 jersey at a press conference in Chico on the day she arrived from Japan.
“I will try the best I can and work as hard as I can,†Yoshida said through a translator. “I’m ready to show what I can do on the mound.â€
The press conference attracted about 40 people, including local baseball fans.
Yoshida became the first Japanese woman to play professional baseball alongside men when she made a relief appearance for the Kobe 9 Cruise in the Kansai Independent League in March last year.
Yoshida opted for the Outlaws over the Mie Three Arrows of the new independent Japan-Future League after taking part in the Arizona Winter League in February.
“Once you see her on the field, you see immediately that she has a lot of baseball knowledge,†Outlaws manager Garry Templeton said. “I think I was a little shocked the first time I saw her myself. She knows a lot about the game and can really play.â€
In March, Yoshida received hands-on instructions from her idol Tim Wakefield at the Boston Red Sox’s spring training complex in Florida.
She planned to join the team’s training camp on May 8 to prepare for its season-opening game on May 21. The Golden Baseball League’s season runs through early September.
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