Japanese schoolgirl drafted by Japanese pro baseball team

[XiaNaphryz]

Kobe 9 Cruise drafts 16-year old knuckleball pitching high school girl.

Note that this isn't with the highest level pro baseball league in Japan.

A 16-year-old schoolgirl is making a pitch to become the first woman to play professional baseball in Japan. 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.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Kind of mannish.

I'd do her with my eyes closed.

[mckmas8808]

Kind of mannish. I'd do her with my eyes closed.

Dude......

[Borgnine]

What are the odds that she'll end up on the Swallows?

[Zyzyxxz]

i bet she throws like a chick

[thesoapster]

Dude......

(we need more pictures to confirm)

[gogogow]

i bet she throws like a chick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npYBU8jVxcs

[grandjedi6]

I give it a week before they make an anime, manga and live musical of this.

[YYZ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npYBU8jVxcs

at least she throws straight.

I give it a week before they make an anime, manga and live musical of this.

lol I bet something similar already exists.

[Halycon]

I give it a week before they make an anime, manga and live musical of this.

This.

[Blimblim]

I give it a week before they make an anime, manga and live musical of this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Nine

[The Frankman]

I give it a week before they make a hentai out of this.

[-COOLIO-]

I give it a week before they make an anime, manga and live musical of this.

id read it/watch it/smell it

[XiaNaphryz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Nine

Princess Nine is awesome, and totally needs another season at some point to continue the story! :(

[The Frankman]

at least she throws straight.

She was much better in warmups...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib8bqJjsI6o

[Kagari]

It's just like a manga story!

[Core407]

is not impressed

[Borgnine]

So girls aren't relegated to softball in Japan? That's pretty cool.

[Hcoregamer00]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Nine

Princess nine is so fucking sweet.

Izumi is one of the best Anime characters ever.

It also has an amazing soundtrack.

[The Frankman]

So girls aren't relegated to softball in Japan? That's pretty cool.

Then again this isn't the MLB of Japan though, it's a lower-level league.

[Blimblim]

Princess Nine is awesome, and totally needs another season at some point to continue the story! :(

Agreed, I really enjoyed watching it a few years ago. Though stylistically it certainly showing its age :/

[The Frankman]

The Kansai league features the first female owner of a pro ball club in Japan as the Kobe 9Cruise (yes, that’s the team name) is owned by Kazuyo Hirota who runs a local mineral water company. The league held an open combined tryout on 4 November, and the draft on 16 November where Kobe selected Eri Yoshida, a 16 year old high school girl who is a submarine knuckleball pitcher (got all that?), with one of its picks after they saw what they liked in the tryout. Yoshida passed the first and second tests of the tryout, then pitched an inning where she struck out the first batter on a knuckler, walked the second batter, then got the next two batters to ground out to second and pop out to short. She received a compliment from a former Yomiuri player and new Osaka pitching coach that her knuckler and fastball both have the same delivery. Her fastball is in the high 60s, so I assume she relies almost entirely on the knuckler. It’s reported that she’s considering transferring to a Kobe high school, and indie games tend to be played on weekends, so I guess this could somehow all work out, it’ll an interesting story to follow as Yoshida becomes the first professional female baseball player in Japan (in a men’s league, there was a women’s league for 2 brief years following the war).

I wonder if she shouts out "SHOCKING WAVE MOTION PITCH!!" before throwing her knuckler.

[donkey show]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Nine

I came here to post this and was beaten 10 times over.

The ending in the anime will probably come true for this girl as well. =P

[zoku88]

Dude......

Don't worry, 16 is teh AOC in a lot of places.

[Baby Milo]

she looks like a not as good looking maki horikita

[Linkzg]

I have to check out Princess Nine

I wonder if she shouts out "SHOCKING WAVE MOTION PITCH!!" before throwing her knuckler.

Major has shown that all balls thrown create a tornado behind he ball

[XiaNaphryz]

The Kansai league features the first female owner of a pro ball club in Japan as the Kobe 9Cruise (yes, that’s the team name) is owned by Kazuyo Hirota who runs a local mineral water company. The league held an open combined tryout on 4 November, and the draft on 16 November where Kobe selected Eri Yoshida, a 16 year old high school girl who is a submarine knuckleball pitcher (got all that?), with one of its picks after they saw what they liked in the tryout. Yoshida passed the first and second tests of the tryout, then pitched an inning where she struck out the first batter on a knuckler, walked the second batter, then got the next two batters to ground out to second and pop out to short. She received a compliment from a former Yomiuri player and new Osaka pitching coach that her knuckler and fastball both have the same delivery. Her fastball is in the high 60s, so I assume she relies almost entirely on the knuckler. It’s reported that she’s considering transferring to a Kobe high school, and indie games tend to be played on weekends, so I guess this could somehow all work out, it’ll an interesting story to follow as Yoshida becomes the first professional female baseball player in Japan (in a men’s league, there was a women’s league for 2 brief years following the war). I wonder if she shouts out "SHOCKING WAVE MOTION PITCH!!" before throwing her knuckler.

Throws in the high 60s - I'm assuming that's in mph, because that's pitifully slow if it's in kph (Japanese use the metric system after all).

For a real shot at the Japanese majors, she'll probably have to get her fastball at least in the 70s, assuming her knuckleball is really good. May be hard to do with her height.

[Borgnine]

Throws in the high 60s - I'm assuming that's in mph, because that's pitifully slow if it's in kph (Japanese use the metric system after all). For a real shot at the Japanese majors, she'll probably have to get her fastball at least in the 70s, assuming her knuckleball is really good. May be hard to do with her height.

Where abouts to Japanese fastballs typically top out, speed wise?

[XiaNaphryz]

Where abouts to Japanese fastballs typically top out, speed wise?

Oh, much higher than that, the hardest throwers are comparable to our major leaguers (high 90s to 102-104). A junkball pitcher doesn't need to really throw that fast, and I can't see this girl getting to even an average speed fastball in the pros. But if her knuckleball's good enough and she can get another effective breaking pitch, a mid 70s fastball would suffice.

[X26]

New league engaging in a publicity stunt for attention, shocking

so, I guess this is japan's version of the xfl?

[The Frankman]

Conditioning and use of computer technology can help her exponentially if she's serious about trying to go pro. Former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson was an expert in using a scientific approach to turning around the career of Oliver Perez.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/..._oliver_perez/

Also if she REALLY wants to emulate a special talent it should've be Wakefield... it's Pat Neshek of the Minnesota Twins, one of the more freakish sidearmers/submariners that exists in baseball. Not only do all his pitches move, but he throws over 90. The "scap load" ("Loading the scapula," a term for bringing the arm/elbow behind your body, or towards 3rd base for lefties, is an important factor in creating arm speed) is where she really can gain MPH/KPH on her pitches.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/...se_pat_neshek/

[AlexMogil]

Oh, much higher than that, the hardest throwers are comparable to our major leaguers (high 90s to 102-104). A junkball pitcher doesn't need to really throw that fast, and I can't see this girl getting to even an average speed fastball in the pros. But if her knuckleball's good enough and she can get another effective breaking pitch, a mid 70s fastball would suffice.

Rising sidearm helps, too. Scares the shit out of you.

[Dina]

Agreed, I really enjoyed watching it a few years ago. Though stylistically it certainly showing its age :/

Show was gud, but god those episodes centered around the obese catcher were horrible.

[Meier]

Princess Nine was one of the first anime DVDs I bought as it was being released. Wonderful, wonderful show.

[XiaNaphryz]

Conditioning and use of computer technology can help her exponentially if she's serious about trying to go pro.

Oh, definitely. I wouldn't be too surprised if she managed to get a much faster fastball than anyone would've predicted with the right training. Look at how a small thin guy like Lincecum can throw heaters.

[zoku88]

she looks like a not as good looking maki horikita

Maki is sooo cute

I've been watching a lot of the dramas she's been in recently hana-kimi = <3

[The Frankman]

Oh, definitely. I wouldn't be too surprised if she managed to get a much faster fastball than anyone would've predicted with the right training. Look at how a small thin guy like Lincecum can throw heaters.

DID SOMEBODY SAY TIM LINCECEUM???

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/..._tim_lincecum/



Also it is awesome how the discussion right now is fluctuating from the baseball aspect to the anime/manga aspect to the obvious sxual aspect to ... who the Hell is this Maki chick?

[typhonsentra]

That's pretty cool. You go girl!

[Smiles and Cries]

+1 for the Princess Nine luv

[cashman]

DID SOMEBODY SAY TIM LINCECEUM??? http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/..._tim_lincecum/

He gets so much rotation with his hips, its crazy

[funkmastergeneral]

Publicity stunt for an upstart league

[ZealousD]

So how are the locker room arrangements going to work here?

[Cryptozoologist]

No jokes about her polishing bats or taking balls to the face? I'm surprised, GAF.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Publicity stunt for an upstart league

If that were the case they would draft a realdoll

[Xisiqomelir]

Princess Nine fans, how would you say the show compares to Slam Dunk?

[Borgnine]

So how are the locker room arrangements going to work here?

Guys will just tuck and then no one will really be sure which one is the girl.

[The Frankman]

Guys will just tuck and then no one will really be sure which one is the girl.

No jokes about her polishing bats or taking balls to the face? I'm surprised, GAF.

Y'know I'm actually surprised myself at this. I think GAF has really matured and now is showing a softer, more caring side than respects women not only as equals, but acknowledges her athletic ability...

since Princess Nine exists will the hentai they make of this be called "Princess Sixty-Nine"?

[RadioHeadAche]

Dude......

You're surprised by that response?

[Darklord]

I'm about to bat off right now.

That pun sounds really wrong when it's about a 16 year old. 0_o

[Rorschach]