A 'First Lady for Japan admin Monday, November 17, 2008 The Game No, not that kind of First Lady. Eri Yoshida, will become the first woman to play with males in Japan’s professional league. Eri Yoshida was drafted for a new independent league that will launch in April, drawing attention for a side-armed knuckler that her future manager Yoshihiro Nakata said was a marvel. “I never dreamed of getting drafted,” Yoshida told reporters Monday, a day after she was selected to play for the Kobe 9 Cruise. “I have only just been picked by the team and have not achieved anything,” she said. “I want to play as a pro eventually in a higher league.” Eri, who says says she wants to follow in the footsteps of the great Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, is barely a woman…this young lady is 16 years old, 5 feet tall and weighs 116lbs! (Source)