Wakefield Is Spending Spring Training Teaching Some Japanese Chick How To Throw A Knuckleball?

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Eri Yoshida stands 5-foot-1 and is just 18 years old, but there is no wavering in what she wants to achieve and who she will emulate along the way. “Of course, it’s to try to become a pitcher like Tim Wakefield,” said Yoshida, who is Japanese, through an interpreter. That quest landed Yoshida on Field 5 of the Red Sox’s Spring Training complex on Tuesday, throwing knuckleballs as her idol stood right behind her. Earlier in the day, she stood intently within view of the bullpen mounds and watched Wakefield throw his side session. She also spent some time at camp on Monday, meeting, among others, Daisuke Matsuzaka. Talk about a dream experience. “I’m impressed,” said Wakefield. “She spun a couple, but for the most part, it was very good. She was able to take the spin out of a lot of them and they had quite a lot of movement on them.” You see, Wakefield is the reason Yoshida built her goal of becoming a professional knuckleballer. She discovered some video of him a few years ago and the wheels started spinning. Perhaps that was the pitch that could lead her to become the first Japanese female to pitch pro baseball. Yoshida started mimicking Wakefield’s delivery in her backyard with her father and made enough progress to pitch for a Japanese independent league team (the Kobe 9 Cruise) last year. This winter, she has been pitching for the Yuma Scorpions of the Arizona Winter League and earned a win by pitching five shutout innings against Team Canada on Feb. 12. Yoshida has a fastball of about 60 mph and a knuckleball that travels in the low 50s.

So let me get this straight. This chick saw Wakefield on youtube a couple years ago and just decided out of the blue that she was going to become a professional knuckleballer ? Just like that? And now she’s in the Arizona Winter League and people are acting like she’s a real pitcher?   She even flew to Ft. Myers to work out with Wakefield.   Hmm, this smells like a Larry Lucchino special.  Probably going to have her pitch a spring training game and charge 100 bucks a ticket or something.    I mean give me a break. Hey honey bring that side arm knuckleball shit to me. and see what happens.   I’ll send that slop to the moon. And don’t even think of trying to slip your 60 mph fastball past me eithe.  I’ll fucking go the other way with that soft serve crap so fast it will make your tits spin.    Leg it out for a double like you read about.

PS – Forget about this knuckleball chick. I want to know what the deal is with her first baseman. That thing looks like it just fucking ate Mo Vaughn or something.