16-year old Eri Yoshida, Japan's first female professional baseball player, was formally introduced and interviewed after signing her contract in Kobe yesterday.

The 155cm tall pitcher appeared with her Kobe Nine Cruiser teammates on December 2. Yoshida is said to have an incredible knuckleball as her primary weapon.  The Cruise are part of an independent league which will begin play in April 2009.  The league hopes it will have success to be able to eventually challenge the long established Central and Pacific leagues which are the mainstream pro teams.

She began playing baseball during elementary school and has been training every day at a training room at her home ever since.

Yoshida said the feeling is still surreal since she doesn't feel like she has become a pro baseball player, that it is a dream come true and that she wants to do her best and be able to play an active role for her team. She acknowledges the expectations are high and that it will be a great challenge.