Japanese School Girl to Play Pro Ball

Some Japanese team I've never heard of in a league I've never heard of drafted a 16 year old knuckleballer to break the gender barrier for their pro team. You could go get this news from MLB.com.

I, however, am going to do this the fun way: finding a Japanese story and translating!

The Kobe 9 cruises of the professional baseball Kansai independent league designated Yoshida collar (16) = Kanagawa prefectural Kawasaki north high 2 years = at the draft meeting on the 16th, birth of the boy player and the domestic first woman professional baseball player whom you play together became secure. The professional baseball is promotion of industry, there is also a viewpoint of topic precedence, but Yoshida what compared to gained the ticket to dream with capability. The authorized personnel expects also the far-reaching effect to the other woman player.

This month 2~4 day, in the tryout of the league which is Kobe city, Yoshida opposes with total 8 hitters. It dazzled with the knuckle ball of 80 kilometer level from the right unskillfulness, sealed in non hit. The Kobe Nakata director “throwing the knuckle from under is difficult with the original Osaka and Kobe pitcher. While shaking truly, and, it becomes the funny war potential where it falls”, that you appraise. It is not something which the baseball sees “for the woman, perhaps it becomes something we would like to do. In Yoshida we want becoming goal of such a player.” 　

Temporarily as much as 20 teams or more there was a domestic woman professional baseball which starts in 1950, but financial difficulty and promotion of industry trouble etc to amateur were converted to the reason, in only 2 years. While employment equal opportunity of the man and woman shouts, baseball agreement was amended in 91, participation of the woman player to the professional baseball became OK, also the player who takes the joining an organization test of professional club appeared. 　

Concerning the woman player, there is an insecurity of the physical strength aspect and a voice which points out danger. Simply, latent interest is high for the woman e.g., the player of industry group top class of softball participates in the latest tryout. With Yoshida's participation circumstance, the independent league which pursues originality in the management aspect, is a possibility of becoming fixed as the place where thinking the woman player is actualized. 　

* You aim toward April of 09 commencement as the domestic 3rd independent league which it comes after the Kansai independent league Shikoku Kyushu island league and the BC league. There are 4 teams of Osaka, Kobe, Guizhou (Wakayama) and Akashi, (Hyogo) there is the conception which is made 8 teams in the future, including Shiga and Kyoto etc. 1 clubs make a contract with 20 professional players, do the annual 72 tournament. As for commissioner Isige Hiroshi model person.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't put this post up just for the chance of humorous translations. She's apparently a side-armed knuckleballer who hopes to be like the "great" Tim Wakefield. Now that's precious!

Here's a video of Yoshida doing her thing.




I'll avoid making jokes about the ulterior motives of a team from a country which has school girl underwear vending machines in drafting a "Japanese School Girl." Because she's 16 and that makes me uncomfortable.