A throng of media (OK, a throng for Victoria) came out to RAP this afternoon to meet Eri Yoshida. Not surprisingly, this 18-year-old Japanese gal is quite shy and she doesn't exactly have Bret Boone's outspokenness in front of the media. To be frank, getting a good quote from Yoshida wasn't easy -- it was pretty much impossible.
The most interesting comments of the media event came from her manager, Garry Templeton. When asked why she was on the team he tersely replied "You'll have to ask the league office. We're a league-owned team." Ouch. Templeton seemed to quickly backpedal after blurting out that initial answer and he seemed quite supportive of what Yoshida is trying to accomplish for the remainder of the press conference. When asked how he would respond to accusations that this is a "bit of a circus or sideshow" he stated "that's the first time I have heard of it." He made the point that she is still only 18 years old and there aren't any men her age playing in the GBL. He also acknowledged that she is still growing physically and she will improve with age -- especially once she gains a bit more experience in the game of baseball. He made a point of saying that "we think she has some potential." Templeton also mentioned that the players on the team have supported her fully and that "she has 22 big brothers on the team."
It will be interesting to see how the Seals do against her on Tuesday night. You have to think that a few of our boys will be nervous going up against Yoshida. It's almost a no-win situation for them -- it's no big deal if they get a hit, but she could make an experienced slugger look silly with a dancing knuckleball or two. Apparently, Tim Rodriguez of the Seals has been taking some good-natured ribbing of late from his teammates about being the first guy in the league to strike out against her (he was her only "K" until she struck out two Orange County Flyers on Friday night). You can bet that none of the Seals will want to take that long trek back to the dugout in front of the home crowd on Tuesday night.
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| The media throng |
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| Garry Templeton responds to questions about Yoshida |
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| Yoshida yucks it up during a photo-op |
The most interesting comments of the media event came from her manager, Garry Templeton. When asked why she was on the team he tersely replied "You'll have to ask the league office. We're a league-owned team." Ouch. Templeton seemed to quickly backpedal after blurting out that initial answer and he seemed quite supportive of what Yoshida is trying to accomplish for the remainder of the press conference. When asked how he would respond to accusations that this is a "bit of a circus or sideshow" he stated "that's the first time I have heard of it." He made the point that she is still only 18 years old and there aren't any men her age playing in the GBL. He also acknowledged that she is still growing physically and she will improve with age -- especially once she gains a bit more experience in the game of baseball. He made a point of saying that "we think she has some potential." Templeton also mentioned that the players on the team have supported her fully and that "she has 22 big brothers on the team."
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