Mori, who's competing with Chad Orvella and Dan Miceli among others for the role, made a big impression on teammates Aubrey Huff and Toby Hall on Thursday. Mori pitched 15 minutes of batting practice and immediately allowed two long homers to Huff, but then loosened up and began to mix in some forkballs that were nearly unhittable.
"It just falls off the table," Huff said. "It was like one of those Bugs Bunny moments when I was just spinning around. The sad thing is, I knew it was coming."
Mori has an average fastball, but it is the forkball that earned him a reputation as one of the most feared relievers in Japan.
He struck out 60 in 49 innings for Seibu last year. He worked mostly as a setup man, but said through an interpreter that he wants the closer job with the Devil Rays.
"Watch for me on opening day," he said.
The job opened when Major League Baseball All-Star closer Danys Baez was traded, along with former All-Star closer Lance Carter, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitching prospects in the offseason.
While Orvella and Jesus Colome have publicly campaigned for the closer's job, Mori is going about his job quietly with an air of mystery about him.
He is one of the most gregarious players in camp when he's with the Japanese media, and seems to be trying to fit in despite the language barrier, but so far he is letting his forkball do the talking.
"He's unhittable when he throws that thing," Hall said. "It's nasty."
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