Astrosdawg07
11-18-2008, 01:55 AM
TOKYO (AP) - A 16-year-old schoolgirl is making a pitch to become the first woman to play professional baseball in Japan.
Sure gives new meaning to the phrase, "You throw like a girl." (Kyodo News / Associated Press)
High school student Eri Yoshida was drafted by the Kobe 9 Cruise, a professional team in a new independent Japanese league that starts its first season in April.
"I always dreamed of becoming a professional," Yoshida said at a news conference Monday. "I have only just been picked by the team and haven't achieved anything yet."
Yoshida, a right-hander who is 5 feet and 114 pounds, throws a sidearm knuckleball and wants to emulate Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
Yoshida threw a hitless inning against male batters during a tryout this month and was among 33 players picked in the draft.
FoxSports.com (http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8808092/Japanese-schoolgirl-drafted-by-pro-team)
Sure gives new meaning to the phrase, "You throw like a girl." (Kyodo News / Associated Press)
High school student Eri Yoshida was drafted by the Kobe 9 Cruise, a professional team in a new independent Japanese league that starts its first season in April.
"I always dreamed of becoming a professional," Yoshida said at a news conference Monday. "I have only just been picked by the team and haven't achieved anything yet."
Yoshida, a right-hander who is 5 feet and 114 pounds, throws a sidearm knuckleball and wants to emulate Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
Yoshida threw a hitless inning against male batters during a tryout this month and was among 33 players picked in the draft.
FoxSports.com (http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8808092/Japanese-schoolgirl-drafted-by-pro-team)