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18-year-old Eri Yoshida might not pitch for the Chico Outlaws until late May, but when she does, she will become the first female to play professionally in America since 1997 - and as a female knuckleballer, a baseball rarity. [AP] More »
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Next spring, a 16-year-old schoolgirl will become the first female to play professional baseball in Japan. Eri Yoshida was drafted by the Kobe 9 Cruise, a team in a new independent Japanese league. The 5-foot, 114 pound pitcher successfully held male batters hitless for one inning in her tryout earlier this month. Yoshida throws a side-arm knuckleball and says she wants to be like Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who is known for his knuckleball. "I always dreamed of becoming a professional," said Yoshida. "I have only just been picked by the team and haven't achieved anything yet." [The Independent] More »
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