Yomiuri Giants veteran pitcher Takashi Kashiwada, who had a one-year major league stint with the New York Mets, will retire and become a scout for the Central League club's international section, Yomiuri officials said Friday. Yomiuri has asked the 34-year-old Kashiwada to join the front office in an effort to acquire new foreign talent for the struggling team by utilizing his experience gained while playing for the Mets in 1997. "I feel some pressure but I'll just have to trust my eyes," said Kashiwada, who will travel to the United States on Sunday on his first scouting mission. Kashiwada, a left-handed reliever, joined the Giants in 1990 and became the fifth Japanese player to move to the majors, posting a 3-1 record with the Mets in 1997. He has not played on the top team this season and has a career 4-2 record with one save and a 3.91 ERA in 203 games played in Japan.
