Baseball: ‘It's a Universal Language'

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- It hasn't taken long for Baltimore Orioles pitcher Koji Uehara to grow comfortable in his new surroundings.

Because he represents Baltimore's first foray into the Asian market and is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter, Uehara is one of the most important pitchers in camp this spring.

He's also the only member of the team who needs an interpreter.  But that doesn't seem to bother him.

"I feel the environment seems easier than I thought. It's nice," Uehara said through an interpreter. "Obviously, I have to perform on the mound, and that's the most important thing. But after I do what I do on the mound, the social aspect comes in."

Catcher Gregg Zaun will try to bond with Uehara, trying to find ways to connect that work for everybody.

"I'm going to try to learn a little Japanese, and hopefully with the help of his interpreter, we can communicate," Zaun said. "It's something that's always interested me, and there's no time like the present. I've got to start learning a little bit about the language, the culture, and hopefully I can understand him and get to know him. But a lot of things that are communicated on a baseball field aren't said; it's a universal language."

The Orioles signed the 33-year-old Uehara to a two-year contract last month. He's projected to start behind ace Jeremy Guthrie despite having no experience in the majors.

"I'm ready to pitch the first day," Uehara said. "And then, what I have to accomplish is pitching with the batters in the box to get the feel of it. That's the most important thing right now."

Uehara spent the past 10 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, Japan's equivalent of the New York Yankees, and went 112-62 with a 3.01 ERA, 1,376 strikeouts and only 206 walks in 276 career games. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1999 and won two Swamura Awards as the league's best pitcher.

"His presence was big in Japan," said Hidecki Okuda, of Sports Nippon. "It's too early to say whether he'll adjust well here or not. He's not a shy person, but being a starting pitcher at this level is so complicated, on the field and off the field. One good thing is he has a lot of experience pitching at a high level."

The Orioles are in Florida for