So Koji Uehara is going to sink his forkball in the major leagues and his fork into a plate of crab cakes from Chesapeake Bay, having agreed, according to all reports, to a two-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Good for him, and the Orioles executive who scouted the now-former Yomiuri Giants ace right-hander says his team is excited about the prospect of acquiring a Japanese player.
Baltimore's international scouting director, John Stockstill, traveled to Japan three times in 2008, spending a total of about 50 days in the country, and another scout came for 10 days with the idea of plugging their team into the Japanese market, watching not only Uehara but also other Japanese players who may become free agents or candidates for posting in the near or distant future.