NEWSBRIEF

Newsbrief: Oakland A's Pitcher Keiichi Yabu Visits ACMHS

January 13, 2005

It is rare occasion that a star baseball player from Japan, now with the Oakland Athletics, would take the time to interact with youth at Asian Community Mental Health Services (ACMHS) in Oakland Chinatown.

Keiichi Yabu, the 36-year-old right-handed pitcher from Japan, signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Oakland A's. Yabu played 11 seasons with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. His career record is 84-106 and 3.57 ERA.

At a press conference organized by the Oakland A's and ACMHS, children from Lincoln Square Parks & Recreation and youth from ACMHS' Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership (AYPAL) Program got a wonderful opportunity to speak with the quiet Yabu in person.

One child asked Keiichi "How many games have you lost?" Keiichi quickly responded through an interpreter, "Over the course of my many years playing baseball, many!!" Another youth asked "Was playing baseball always your career goal?" Keiichi Yabu said that he came from a rural area of Japan and because there was not much to do, he picked up baseball. Yabu shared that his boyhood idol was the Japanese baseball legend Sadaharu Oh.

On a humorous note, another young boy, not realizing that pitchers aren't usually known for their hitting skills, asked Keiichi how many home runs he has hit. Keiichi smiled and gave the universal sign for zero, drawing laughs from the crowd.

Keiichi signed baseball hats and autographed other paraphernalia for the kids. On July 15th, ACMHS will hold its 23rd Annual A's Community Night at the Oakland Coliseum. Please mark your calendar for an exciting game with Oakland A's vs. Texas Rangers.