Female knuckleballer Eri Yoshida, set to join the Chico Outlaws of the U.S. independent Golden Baseball League, said Tuesday her ultimate goal would be to play in the major leagues.
"Each and every day will be a test for me. I have worries but right now, I just want to play baseball," said the 18-year-old Yoshida at a news conference in Tokyo.
"Now that I will make a start in the U.S., I want to aim for the major leagues," she added.
Yoshida opted for the California-based Outlaws over the Mie Three Arrows of the new independent Japan-Future League after taking part in the Arizona Winter League in February.
She is scheduled to leave Japan in May as the 10-team independent league's season runs from May 19 to early September.
"I talked with my parents and came to the decision to go to the U.S. after really thinking hard about it. In the end, I felt I didn't want to miss the opportunity," Yoshida said.
In March 2009, Yoshida became the first Japanese woman to play professional baseball alongside men when she made a relief appearance for the Kobe 9 Cruise in the Kansai Independent League.
She spent one season with the Kobe club, making 11 game appearances.
