Japan’s ‘Knuckle Princess’ Arrives in U.S.

Japan’s ‘Knuckle Princess’ Arrives in U.S. But rather than an insult, Ochoa’s bunt served as the ultimate compliment. It was a sign that the pitcher, Eri Yoshida, a diminutive 18-year-old woman who arrived from Japan with dimples and a sidearm knuckleball, was just one of the guys.

Yoshida made her debut for the Chico Outlaws of the independent Golden League on Saturday night, the first appearance by a woman in American professional baseball since Ila Borders in 2000.

Yoshida allowed four runs in three innings against Los Cimarrones de Tijuana, and she was hit hard at times; one 70-mile-per-hour fastball was crushed for a two-run homer. But she retired 7 of the first 10 batters she faced before tiring. And in her one plate appearance, she drove in a run by bouncing a bases-loaded single to right field.

“It was unbelievable,” Yoshida said through an interpreter, referring to her hit.

Yoshida seemed to have won the admiration of her manager, pandora beads the crowd and many of her teammates for her perseverance.

“With all the media hype, all that attention, she went out there and did her job,” said Chico Manager Garry Templeton, the former All-Star shortstop. “To me, she’s got some thick skin.”

As she stands 5 feet 1 and weighs 115 pounds, her margin for error is slight, and it might be hard to shake the notion that her presence here is little more than a promotional gimmick.

“You don’t know because nobody’s ever going to tell you the truth,” said Tijuana third baseman Kit Pellow, 36, who played briefly with the Rockies and the Royals. pandora beads “It’s a good opportunity for her. It’s a good opportunity for the fans. It’s something different. Whether you do it with clowns or players or championships, that’s what it’s about — entertaining the people.”