This is a pretty cool story out of Japan... the nation's newest baseball sensation 16-year-old Eri Yoshida, the first—and youngest—female professional baseball player in an all-male league in Japan: Japan league drafts 16-year-old girl. More here: The Knuckleballer Is a Girl.
The 5 ft., 114 lb. right-handed teenager from Yokohama City apparently throws a mean knuckleball at about 100 km, with an unpredictable trajectory that she says no batter has yet been able to hit. She'll playing for the Kobe 9 Cruise team in Japan's new independent minor league when its first season starts next spring.
What's crazy is, her family actually showed up at the three-day tryout to see if Eri's 19-year-old brother could have a chance at getting drafted. After pitching a no-hit inning, she was signed with 32 other players—out of about 45 candidates. And her brother didn't make the draft!
It's like something out of a movie. Teen girl pitching phenom finds herself playing with the pros in the big leagues. You could even have an appearance from Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, Eri's hero. Throw in that heartthrob love interest and you've got the makings of a pretty solid Disney script. Of course, in the Hollywood version, everybody's white.
*
