Japanese baseball icon Tsuyoshi Yoda enchants Quezon’s young athletes

QUEZON, Philippines – What might have seemed like just another weekend in Mulanay, Quezon Province became an extraordinary day for over 60 aspiring young athletes as renowned former Japanese baseball pitcher Tsuyoshi Yoda set foot in the coastal town on Saturday, October 12.

Yoda, now more a mentor than a player, held a free baseball clinic at the Kaibao field in Barangay Santa Rosa, aimed at shaping the next generation of Filipino baseball talent. 

With children from the Little League, aged 7 to 12, and the secondary league, aged 12 to 16, Yoda’s expertise was on full display. The aim: to teach, inspire, and cultivate the raw potential of the sport’s future stars.

Yoda was surprised to find that there were no stadiums in the area. When he asked organizers about the possibility of a larger venue for training, he was informed that the open field facing the sea was the best available space.

Mulanay Mayor Aries Aguirre said the town lacked funds to build and maintain a stadium. Even Quezon province, Aguirre said, did not have such a facility.

Yoda, speaking through his interpreter Takihiro Kondo, said a stadium was not his priority, and that what matters most is the chance to teach children who are passionate about baseball.

On the first day of the clinic, Yoda personally dug a spot on the field to install a pitcher’s plate he had brought for the kids. The session began with a warm-up routine aimed at flexibility and injury prevention, followed by essential pitching mechanics such as grip, release, and foot placement.

Andy Penaroyo, head coach of Patabog Elementary School’s Little League team, expressed his optimism for the young athletes under him.

“Because of this training, we hope to become champions in baseball. Baseball has long been a part of Mulanay, a sport played and loved by our ancestors,” Penaroyo said. 

Penaroyo added that the town was once renowned in Quezon Province for its baseball prowess, with local teams previously clinching titles at regional meets.

Edwin Escala, head coach of Deparis National High School’s secondary league team, said he saw the visit of Yoda and the baseball clinic not only as historic but a motivating event for the young athletes.

On the second and final day of the clinic, Yoda watched the children in an exhibition game, and subsequently handed out gloves, balls, and bats to the participants.

Yoda made an unforgettable debut on April 7, 1990, earning a full-time closer position following an impressive performance in the 11th inning. He also established a Japanese record by throwing a fastball at 157 kilometers per hour on August 15 of the same year.

During his career, Yoda played for several teams in Japan’s professional baseball leagues, beginning with the Chunichi Dragons from 1990 to 1996. He also played for the Chiba Lotte Marines, Nippon-Ham Fighters, and Hanshin Tigers. After retiring as a player, he became a coach with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles from 2016 to 2018.

His international influence included coaching the Japanese national baseball team in the World Baseball Classic in both 2009 and 2013. He took on the role of manager for the Chunichi Dragons from 2019 to 2021. – Rappler.com