New Seattle Mariners pitcher Yusei Kikuchi left Japan on Sunday ahead of his first spring training in the major leagues, declaring his determination to earn and hold onto a spot in his team's starting pitching rotation."At last it feels like I'm doing this," Kikuchi told reporters at Osaka's Kansai International Airport. "I want to play with a sense of gratitude toward the many people in Japan who have supported me these past 27 years."Japan's top left-handed starting pitcher, Kikuchi signed a three-year guaranteed contract with the Mariners on Jan. 2 after his Pacific League club, the Seib…READ FULL ARTICLE
