GBL offseason action heating up as winter league nears

The most wonderful time of the year is turning into the busiest time of the year of the Golden Baseball League.
 
In the past week, one of its clubs reportedly folded, another was added to the league, one of its managers took a managerial spot in affiliated ball, the expansion into Mexico took a step forward and a new all-star game partner was announced.
 
And all that happened before the league announced a 17-year-old female pitcher will play in the league's winter ball in Yuma.
 
Eri Yoshida will play in the Arizona Winter League for Mike Marshall's Yuma Scorpions and already is slated to pitch opening night, January 29 at Desert Sun Stadium.
 
Yoshida announced the decision on her blog Tuesday.
 
"I decided to join a new challenge and (will gain) practical experience," read her blog when translated from Japanese.
 
The blog also mentioned how she though the AWL did a good job bringing in talent from different countries - about 20 Japanese players are expected this year.
 
Marshall said it "should be really interesting."
 
"We are really looking forward to having Eri in the league and as a member of the Yuma Scorpions in the upcoming AWL," Marshall said. "It's an intense month of baseball, a great showcase, and an exceptional opportunity for any player to improve their game and move to the next level. Having played in Japan with Nippon Ham Fighters in the 1990s, I'm thrilled to be able to return the wonderful hospitality that I received and help Eri further her dream."
 
Yoshida played last season in the Kansai Independent Baseball League, pitching for the Kobe Cruise 9. In November, she pitched in an exhibition game against the Hiroshima Carp of the Central League - one of the two leagues that make up Nippon Pro Baseball, the top professional league in Japan.
 
Kevin Outcalt, GBL commissioner, said that Yoshida sought out the AWL through her agency, Dual Arms.
 
"They came to us with her request and if we'd consider having a female pitcher," Outcalt said. "She took the initiative to see if she could play."
 
The righty uses a submarine delivery and her knuckleball has been clocked around 50 miles per hour, with her other pitches topping out at about 65.
 
"I've gotten an unbelievable amount of media calls today," Outcalt said. "CNN wants to do a feature, and about 10 different Japanese media outlets want to do a story on this. I think it's going to be a highly covered event."
 
She will be the first female player in the AWL, as no woman has pitched in the GBL either. Ila Borders pitched in the Northern League in 1997, the first female independent league player in the modern era. Marshall said Keigo Miyagi, a Scorps veteran in both the GBL and AWL, will act as translator for Yoshida.
 
Yoshida isn't the only female player in the AWL. She'll be joined by Tiffany Brooks, who has played in women's baseball internationally.
 
There's been plenty of instances of the GBL in the news recently, including reports on St. George folding. Outcalt said, however, that is not official and as it stands now, the Roadrunners are still on the schedule for 2010.
 
Outcalt also said that there was "about a 30 percent chance - and it's always rising" that Tijuana could join the league for 2010 thanks to a new ownership group for their stadium. The Potros were slated to play in 2009 until the swine flu scare forced the cancellation of their season. He said it was slightly less likely Palm Springs would join the league for the 2010 season, but very likely of their participation in 2011.
 
The league also announced an All-Star Game against the Northern League, which has been operating successfully since 1993. The 2010 game will be played in Tucson on July 14, with the 2011 game to be played in Illinois.
 
On Tuesday, Orange County manager Phil Nevin took a job managing the Erie Seawolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.