SEATTLE (Kyodo) Kenji Johjima said Wednesday he was "profoundly grateful" to the Seattle Mariners for his four years with the club, but admitted the frustration of limited playing time over the past two seasons was a factor in him opting out of the final two years of his three-year, $24 million contract to return to Japan. "These past two years have been frustrating and I felt like I had to make this decision now," Johjima said in a telephone interview. "I am profoundly grateful to the Mariners for making me the first Japanese-born catcher (in the major leagues). I have played in a wonderful baseball environment for four years," added the 33-year-old. "I was blessed with great staff around me and have learned a lot from playing with Ichiro-san (Suzuki). Ichiro-san is the first person outside family who I told about my... [read full story]
