TMCnet News
Baseball: Mariners introduce Japanese catcher Jojima+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)SEATTLE, Jan. 25_(Kyodo) _ 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. "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. "Of course, I'll keep working on my English. But I have other things to learn as well, such as each Seattle pitcher's personality," Jojima, the first Japanese catcher to pursue a major league career, said in Japanese when asked to comment on the language barrier. "The job of a catcher is the same in Japan and the United States -- not leaving the pitcher alone on the mound. It's not just catching, throwing or hitting. I'll even use body language." The Mariners tied the major league record of 116 wins in a single season in 2002 but have struggled in recent years, finishing last in the American League West in 2004 and 2005. "When I was with the Hawks in Japan, I had to think about both myself and the team. But since I'm a rookie here, I'll try to focus on my things first in order to establish myself. I believe doing so will help me play well and improve the team's record," Jojima said. Jojima is scheduled to attend the Mariners FanFest this weekend before going to spring training in Peoria, Arizona. Jojima joined the Hawks in 1995 as their first-round draft pick and helped the team win the Pacific League pennant in 1999, 2000 and 2003 and the Japan Series in 1999 and 2003. He was named the league's MVP in 2003 after hitting .330 with 34 homers and a career-high 119 RBIs in 140 games. In 2005, he hit .309 with 24 homers and 57 RBIs in 116 games before his season came to an abrupt end with a broken shin suffered during a game on Sept. 22. |