Too bad about the career of Masumi Kuwata apparently coming to an end after he was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but success pitching in the major leagues for the 39-year-old right-hander was really a long shot, made even longer because of the ankle injury he had in a spring training game in March after colliding with an umpire.
Kuwata obviously would have had a much better chance in the big leagues if he could have gone in his prime but, as an ace with the Yomiuri Giants in the 1990s, that was not to be. In the end, it was a case of too little too late to break in to "The Show."
Still, he got to pitch in the majors, his family saw him play at PNC Park, and he's to be applauded for trying his heart out against overwhelming odds.