Veteran right-hander and former major leaguer Masato Yoshii has decided to end his playing career and will join the coaching staff of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters next season, baseball sources said Monday. Yoshii accepted the offer for the post of top-team pitching coach made by Nippon Ham after he was left out of the Chiba Lotte Marines' team plans for the next season. "I've made up my mind," Yoshii said without giving any details about his future. "I'm confident that I could still continue pitching but I've also begun to think that it's about time to quit."
