From Brazil to Toronto, Jo Matumoto is a good example of the realization of dreams no matter where you come from. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the left handed pitcher of Asian-Latino heritage, found a way to overcome linguistic, cultural and sports barriers.
Matumoto was born on February 5, 1971 and despite being a complete stranger to baseball scouts in the United States, he signed a minor league free agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2007 at age 36. He played at the Double A and Triple A level with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and Syracuse Chiefs in 2007 and 2008, before being released by the Canadian team.
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Prior to his brief stint in U.S. baseball, the left-handed pitcher played in the Japan Industrial League with the Nippon Blue Jays from 1996-2001. In his long career as a pitcher, he dominated the field on different continents. His talents have made him a benchmark in Japan, Brazil, and Canada.
Matumoto was a staple for the Brazilian national baseball team since 1995 and in 2005, was the Most Valuable Player at the South American Games. There he led his country to the gold medal after beating Venezuela in the finals.