Yofu from the WS MLB page

[cwsox]

Tetsu Yofu: No longer a mystery

Right-hander could reach the big leagues in 2003

By Scott Merkin /

Tetsu Yofu was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A two weeks ago. (Birmingham Barons)

CHICAGO -- His name is Tetsu Yofu.

 

He stands six feet tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds, although he’s dropped quite a bit of weight in the past year so that’s not quite official. Yofu is a right-handed pitcher, born and raised in Japan, who was signed by the White Sox as a minor league free agent in January.

 

But, aside from that name, rank and serial number type of information, the White Sox couldn’t provide much more about Yofu while he was working out in Tucson during Spring Training.

 

The team’s media guide, one of the most thorough and complete in Major League Baseball, features at least one or two paragraphs about every minor league player under contract -- except for Yofu. The added statistics to be gleamed from his sparse personal bio are his birth date (June 26, 1973), his place of undergraduate studies (Asia University) and his current residence (Fujisaw City, Japan).

 

Yet, Yofu has become the most significant signing for the White Sox organization from the Far East, a geographic region becoming increasingly well-known for producing top Major Leaguers. The White Sox had an older outfielder named Nobitashi Ito on their Rookie team in Phoenix last year, but he did not remain with the organization.

 

"Everything seems huge over here -- the cities, the people and even baseball. I'm just glad to be playing baseball for the White Sox."

-- Tetsu Yofu

 

“It’s important to obtain talent from anywhere you can get it,” said Brian Porter, the White Sox assistant director of player development. “No team is good enough to let talent go by, if he’s a viable option.

 

“We believe in our scouts and trust in their recommendations. When we heard it was possible that we were going to sign Yofu, we tried to do our due diligence in finding out as much about him as possible. But, as far as info through the Internet, we were basically limited to stats.”

 

Approximately one month from the end of Spring Training, Yofu is no longer a Far Eastern mystery. The 29-year-old began the season at Double-A Birmingham, where he pitched in seven games as a reliever.

 

Yofu worked 14 innings, allowed 11 hits and one earned run, while walking five and striking out 15. He picked up one save, to go along with his 0.64 earned run average.

 

When David Sanders was promoted to the White Sox two weeks ago, Yofu was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte the following day. He has since worked 3 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs, striking out three.

 

The story of how Yofu came to the United States and eventually to the Major Leagues is the stuff that movies are made of. Actually, it’s a plot line better than your average baseball flick.

 

After graduating from college, Yofu spent five years dominating an Industrial League in Japan, which is the equivalent of the minor leagues in the States. He played pro baseball one year in Taiwan, where he was tops in the league in strikeouts and led the famous Brothers Elephant team to the title with two wins and two saves in the championship series.

 

In 2002, Yofu moved to the Japanese League, where he played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, managed by legendary slugger Sadaharu Oh. Truth be told, Yofu never pitched for Oh, injuring his back before the season started and spending most of the season on a minor league roster.

 

But, Yofu made friends with Carlos Castillo, the former White Sox hurler with great talent who lost the battle of the bulge in trying to stay in the Major Leagues and became part of the Hawks’ rotation. They were such good friends that Yofu came to live with Castillo in Miami in November, and worked out with him on a daily basis. Other Major League pitchers such as Orlando ‘El Duque’ Hernandez of the Expos and the Indians closer Danys Baez also worked out in the group.

 

Castillo was impressed enough with Yofu’s ability that he recommended him to Jose Ortega, a full-time scout for the White Sox in South Florida. The Indians and Reds were also interested in Yofu, but after one impressive workout, he signed with the White Sox on January 17.

 

If the story weren’t verified as true, it would be very hard to believe.

 

“I’ve played in Taiwan and then Japan, so it makes sense to come here now,” said the affable Yofu through a translator. “It’s my next step.

 

“If I went back to Taiwan, it would have paid a lot more. But I always wanted to play in the United States.”

 

Yofu actually has a pretty good grasp of the English language, having traveled with a high school All-Star team to Iowa, California and Texas. He was one of the more popular players in the Birmingham clubhouse, a “real character,” according to Birmingham manager Wally Backman.

 

He was equally popular with Backman and Birmingham pitching coach Juan Nieves. That’s mainly because of his durability and command of no less than seven pitches.

 

“I throw a fastball in the lower 90s, a curve, slider, two-seam fastball, forkball and a couple of others,” said Yofu with a smile. “I was basically a starting pitcher in Taiwan, but I’ll pitch wherever they want to get to the Major Leagues.”

 

“He’s got them all, including a great split-finger, and is the best athlete and best fielding pitcher we had on the roster,” Backman added. “He might throw too many pitches. Yofu has a really good fastball, but I think he’s lost a little velocity because of all the pitches he does throw. We tried to get him to trust in his fastball a little bit more.”

 

Nieves mentioned that Japanese pitchers are known to be resilient, even throwing in between innings to stay sharp. He also described Yofu as a “high-intensity guy,” who not only has bought into the White Sox conditioning program, but also has his own regimented workouts.

 

Yofu has not gone unnoticed by the White Sox administrators. After throwing three innings on Wednesday, April 23 to pick up his first victory in American baseball, Yofu was notified of his move up to the next level.

 

Before the season is over, he could be the first Japanese player to be part of the team’s Major League roster.

 

“They look for a guy who can throw two or three pitches for strikes, with the velocity and command of those pitches,” said Nieves, who threw the only no-hitter in Milwaukee Brewers history. “He has a good arm and does have Major League stuff.”

 

“We are keeping an eye on him,” added White Sox assistant general manager Rick Hahn. “Some times it comes in a round-about route, but Yofu has a plus split-finger, good slider and a good fastball.”

 

When Yofu was first assigned to Birmingham out of Spring Training, Mike Hobson, the team’s media relations director, helped get him settled. That included finding a Japanese translator from the University of Alabama.

 

While they were driving around one day, Yofu asked Hobson if it was possible to go from Double-A to the big leagues. Hobson remembered that very question as he drove Yofu to the airport following his first promotion.

 

“I told him in the car, ‘You have already moved up one level,’” Hobson said. “He smiled and then asked how likely it is to go from Triple-A to the White Sox.”

 

If and when Yofu does arrive, his story will no longer be along the lines of a baseball urban legend. It can actually be read about currently by going to his very high-tech web site, www.yofutetsu.com. Of course, you need a working knowledge of Japanese to understand what’s being written.

 

There might be more cultural adjustments for Yofu, who already has adapted to American music and food. He’s also done a nice job adapting to American baseball.

 

“They all love baseball over here,” Yofu said. “Little kids are playing day and night, everywhere you go. It’s not like that in Japan.

 

“Everything seems huge over here -- the cities, the people and even baseball,” Yofu added with a smile. “I’m just glad to be playing baseball for the White Sox.”

 

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[zach23]

Will this mean we get to see a future concession stand called "Yofu's Tofu"?

[southsider2k5]

Does anyone know if the Sox have any kind of a scouting department in the far east anywhere? I can't think of ANY Asian players that we have signed or had in our system. Yofu seems to be an accident.

[IlliniKrush]

Does anyone know if the Sox have any kind of a scouting department in the far east anywhere?  I can't think of ANY Asian players that we have signed or had in our system.  Yofu seems to be an accident.

I would have to imagine we would by now, but i have no idea.

 

If we don't, we sure as hell should

[YASNY]

I'd be interested in know about this too. It seems to I remember reading we do have a scout over there. For some reason, though I may be totally offbase here, the name Leron Lee comes to mind.

[Rex Kickass]

Will this mean we get to see a future concession stand called "Yofu's Tofu"?

Sounds delish.