Teen Signs As Japan's First Female Ballplayer

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A 16-year-old Japanese girl signed with a regional baseball team Tuesday, becoming the country's first professional female player.

Eri Yoshida, a knuckleball pitcher, will play for the Kobe 9 Cruise in a new independent league starting in April 2009.

"I still don't feel like I've really become a pro baseball player, but I want to do my best," Yoshida said at a news conference after signing her contract. "My specialty is the knuckleball, so I really want to be able to get batters out using it effectively."

The team selected her last month along with 31 male players in the league draft.

Via ESPN

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