The Dodgers’ Japanese players were already champions in the Land of the Rising Sun and in the United States. The World Baseball Classictrophy is heading to Los Angeles, but the party extends all the way to Japan thanks to its top heroes Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
People swarmed around local Tokyo train stations on Thursday morning as newspaper extras were ready to roll off the presses, proclaiming Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as world champions along with their Dodgers teammates after an exciting Game 5 victory over the New York Yankees.
Newspaper leaflets are a Tokyo tradition when Japan celebrates a major event. And this is a big deal for a country whose players were once considered too small, or only good pitchers. Now, there is great pride in the fact that their players are among the best in the game.
Japan, the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡place of great baseball players and Ohtani is its standard-bearer
Last year, Japan defeated the United States in the World Baseball Classic final in Miami, another sign of the country’s prowess in the American pastime.
It was also a victory for Ohtani‘s hometown in northern Japan, Oshu City, where fans have been gathering all week and hoping their superstar hero would help secure the title.
Japan is a powerhouse in world baseball, but tonight it celebrates Ohtani and Yamamoto as MLB champions, but also that the two were part of the Japanese team that won the World Baseball Classic and triumphed over the United States, so it was a perfect year for two men who were part of the Dodgers and both were fundamental throughout the postseason, one as the designated hitter and the other as a starting pitcher.
