Koji Uehara Makes Orioles History Tonight

Orioles fans will get their first look at Japanese pitcher Koji Uehara as he faces the New York Yankees tonight at Camden Yards.Uehara was an eight-time All-Star and won two Sawamura Awards (the Cy Young Award of Japanese baseball) playing for the Yomiuri Giants of the Central League.The 34-year-old right-hander is the first Japanese player to play for the Orioles despite the arrival of numerous Japanese major leaguers in the last decade. The Orioles hope Uehara's performance will lead to an increased presence in Japanese scouting after years of inactivity in the Pacific Rim.It will be interesting to see how well Uehara adapts to the major leagues, as the Yankees will provide as formidable of a lineup as any he will face in the American League in 2009.