Print

Mail

wiki links

Igawa shrugs off media attention in warmup game

New York Yankees pitcher Kei Igawa of Japan pitches in an intrasquad game on Tuesday at the Legends Field in Tampa, Florida. PHOTO: AP

Kei Igawa was the center of attention even before he threw a pitch on Tuesday.

About 20 photographers from his homeland lined up behind the plate to record the Japanese left-hander's first warmup toss before a New York Yankees' intrasquad game.

The quick-working Igawa needed just 19 pitches to cruise through two scoreless innings.

"He was good," manager Joe Torre said. "There's really no wasted motions. He's very compact and he goes after it. I think that's a sign of knowing what you want to do."

Igawa, in English, said pitching coach Ron Guidry told him to "have fun."

"I just told him, `This is an intrasquad game, OK,'" Guidry said. "It's not like you're trying to make the club here. Go out, have a little fun, get your work done and concentrate on getting ahead of the guys. You can make a lot better pitches when you're ahead in the count than when you're behind in the count. That's exactly what he did."

The only hit Igawa allowed was a leadoff, first-pitch drag bunt single by the speedy Brett Gardner. Three pitches later, Igawa induced a double-play grounder from Bronson Sardinha.

After Jose Tabata ended the first with a grounder, Igawa pitched with a 1-2-3 second.

"For the first time that I pitched in the States, it was a good feeling," Igawa said through a translator. "I'm very honored to play with all the teammates. I was not nervous, but I was definitely excited."

Igawa threw 14 strikes and didn't allow a ball out of the infield.

"My control was a little off, but I was able to get some strikes in there, so it's OK," he said.

Igawa is to pitch his first spring training game on Monday.

"It was a good outing for him," Guidry said. "It was good to get this kind of stuff out of the way in a game-situation early."
This story has been viewed 1011 times.