When the former major leaguer Ivan Ochoa laid a well-placed bunt down the third-base line for a single to lead off the game, it drew boos from the home crowd and a loud rejoinder from one fan: “Hit like a man.” But rather than an insult, Ochoa’s bunt served as the ultimate compliment. It was a sign that the pitcher, Eri Yoshida, a diminutive 18-year-old woman who arrived from Japan with dimples and a sidearm knuckleball, was just one of the guys. Yoshida made her debut for the Chico Outlaws of the independent Golden League on Saturday night, the first appearance by a woman in American professional baseball since Ila Borders in 2000. – From NY Times