Pinoy pitcher to try out in Nippon Professional Baseball

THOUGH the Philippine Baseball Team suffered losses in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) qualifier in Taiwan, its pitcher 23-year-old Vlaimir Eguia from San Ildefonso, Bulacan has earned high praises from longtime Japanese coach Kunifumi Itakuma who plans to bring the lefty Filipino to Japan.

According to Itakuma, Eguia has the qualities of playing in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, particularly the Kunichi Dragons where Fili- pino-Japanese pitcher Ryuya Ogawa once played.

“There is a need for left-handed pitchers in Japan and Eguia has a good chance of making it there. Right now he is the top pitcher of the Philippines,” said Itakuma through an interpreter.

Itakuma, 64, has been helping Philippine baseball since 2006 by donating equipments from bats, shoes, helmets and gloves as well as lending his coaching expertise for free.

But since that year, it is only now that he saw a player with vast potentials of making it into the prestigious Japanese pro league.

“The standard pitching in Japan is about 140kph. This tournament, I saw him throw 135. From now until February, he will have enough time to work on that,” said Itakuma.

During the WBC qualifier, Eguia had the opportunity of pitching against former New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox outfielder John- ny Damon who played for Thailand, his mother’s homeland.

“I was tensed at first because I am aware who he is. But after my first throw, everything went OK. This is one experience that will help me a lot improve on my game,” said Eguia.

After beating Thailand, 8-2 in the opener, the Philippines suffered back- to- back losses to ChineseTaipei (16-0) and New Zealand (106), two teams that were set to battle in the rain-delayed final day.