TOKYO — Schoolboy pitching sensation Shohei Otani has reversed his decision to jump straight to Major League Baseball by agreeing to join Japan's Nippon Ham Fighters. The 18-year-old, whose possesses a 160kph fastball, told reporters Sunday he would join the Sapporo club after being selected as the first pick in Japan's draft in October. Otani's desire to join an MLB club directly from school alerted the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox among others but also sent shockwaves through the Japanese game. The Fighters will present Otani, from Hanamaki East high school in quake-hit northeast Japan, with the No. 11 jersey. — AP
