- Jo Matumoto
Jo Matumoto (born
February 5 1971 inSão Paulo ,Brazil ) is aleft-handed starting pitcher currently signed to a minor-league contract within theToronto Blue Jays organization. [ [http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070223&content_id=1812793&vkey=pr_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor The Official Site of The Toronto Blue Jays: Official Info: Blue Jays sign Matumoto ] ]Matumoto was born in Brazil but is of Japanese descent. He emerged from relative baseball obscurity, signed to his first professional contract as an
undrafted free agent at the age of 36, by the Toronto Blue Jays.While in Japan, Matumoto was part of an "industrial league" team in Japanese professional baseball, essentially the Japanese equivalent of the
Minor League Baseball circuit. Signed by the Nippon Blue Jays (a team unaffiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, but founded by a former Toronto Blue Jaysfarm team player, fellow BrazilianJose Pett [ [http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070223&content_id=1813554&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor The Official Site of The Toronto Blue Jays: News: Matumoto can't believe his good fortune ] ] ). Matumoto would play in Japan from 1996 until 2001. [ [http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/story.html?id=f6ac6333-3b3f-4a18-aeb4-77990174b41c&k=3255 Brazilian pitcher goes on storybook odyssey ] ]Matumoto returned to Brazil and has seen action playing for the national baseball team since by|2001 and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the by|2005
South America Championship . [ [http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070223&content_id=1812793&vkey=pr_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor The Official Site of The Toronto Blue Jays: Official Info: Blue Jays sign Matumoto ] ]References
External link
* [http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=34703 Minors Baseball-reference.com]
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