Hiroki Kuroda fills second starting spot – MLB New York Yankees News
Hiroki Kuroda is one of the most talented pitchers in Major League Baseball right now. Having played in Japanese League for more than a decade, he has the ability to perform even in pressure situations. Kuroda has already secured a starting spot on Yankees
pitching rotation and now he is looking to make the most of available opportunities in the upcoming 2012 season.
Having started in 358 out of 386 in Japan, he has great amount of starting experience under his belt. Signing a one year $10 million contract with the Yankees earlier this year, he will be looking to secure a permanent place on the roster.
According to sources, Kuroda has been practicing extremely hard for the past two weeks. In an interview with a leading sports website, Yankees’ Manager Joe Girardi stated that Kuroda’s throwing is very impressive. Agreeing to a deal with a club of Yankees
stature, Kuroda will be considering him extremely lucky.
“I feel very comfortable here. It’s not like it has been a big adjustment because everybody has welcomed me with open arms,’’ Kuroda said. "He's the first catcher that caught me when I came to the States, and he knows what kind of pitcher I am, what kind
of pitches I have,"
"On a personal level, there were many adjustments that I had to make," Kuroda said through a translator. "But when you're in Rome, do what the Romans do. That's pretty much what I did."
The starter made his MLB debut in 2008 and he has produced some magical performances since then. Kuroda looked on top of his game past season as he earned a decent 13-16 win-loss record with an incredible 3.07 ERA. The 37 year old right handed thrower will
be the number two starter for the Yankees in Spring Training. Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes and Michael Pineda are expected to fill the other three spots. It will be interesting to see if Kuroda can live up to the expectations. It will not be wrong to say that he
will have a crucial role to play for Yankees in the post season.
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