Former Yomiuri Giants pitcher Koji Uehara made his major league aspirations known early on.
Not wasting any time after fulfilling the requirements for free agency, Uehara announced in April he intended to pitch in the majors in 2009.
Following his somewhat brazen announcement, Uehara struggled to the point that he was demoted to the minors during the first half of 2008. He rebounded with a solid second half after the Olympics and ended the year 6-5 overall with a 3.81 in 26 appearances (12 starts).