New Japanese import Kenji Jojima said Tuesday he is ready to gear up for his rookie season in the major leagues and eager to break the language barrier as he was officially introduced by the Seattle Mariners.
Catcher Kenji Jojima attends a news conference announcing his signing with the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field in Seattle.
"Hello, everybody! How are you doing?" Jojima said in English at the outset of his press conference at Safeco Field. "Thank you for coming today. My name is Kenji Jojima. I am from Sasebo, Japan."
The 29-year-old former Softbank Hawks star catcher, who was given the number 2 uniform and registered name "Johjima," thus wasted no time displaying his hard work on the language that he started after signing a three-year, $16.5 million contract.