Shohei Ohtani (Angels) finally joined the Japanese WBC (World Baseball Classic) national team. Fans welcomed Ohtani with enthusiastic cheers as if they had been waiting for this day. The atmosphere of the Japanese national team also became more heated.토토사이트
Ohtani arrived in Nagoya, Japan, on a chartered plane on the 3rd. After appearing in an exhibition game for his team on the 1st in Korean time, he boarded a chartered flight to return to Japan, visited the US Embassy in Tokyo, and moved to Nagoya. It is known that it cost 15 million yen just for the two chartered flights.
It was well worth the money spent. Japan’s Nishi-Nippon Sports reported the scenery of the Nagoya Dome on the afternoon of the 3rd. When Ohtani appeared to warm up at the Vantelin Dome, the home stadium of the Chunichi Dragons, fans welcomed the ‘superstar’ with loud cheers and applause. Everyone took out their smartphones and were busy taking pictures of Ohtani.
Even though Ohtani does not appear in the game, the reaction is hot. Ohtani, a major leaguer, cannot participate unless it is an official evaluation match hosted by the WBC Secretariat. On the 3rd and 4th, I do not play in the practice game with Chunichi, only training. Still, fans welcomed the appearance of a star that is not easily seen. Tickets for the practice game were sold out early.
On December 17 last year, Ohtani announced his intention to participate in the WBC on his social media Instagram account. In a post on Instagram, he said, “I told coach Hideki Kuriyama that I would participate in the WBC, which has been talked about since the middle of the season. ” he wrote.
This is his first appearance in the WBC. Ohtani was included in the final roster at the 2017 WBC, but gave up participating in the tournament due to an ankle injury. He participated in the Japan-Japan All-Star Series in 2014, the Premier 12 in 2015, and the Netherlands-Mexico Trial in 2016 as a member of Japan’s national team. He did not compete internationally after advancing to the major leagues, and was given another chance when the WBC revived after six years.
Meanwhile, Lars Nutba, the first ‘Japanese-American’ national representative in Japanese baseball, also joined the Nagoya Dome on the 3rd. The Japanese national team players surprised their new teammates by wearing commemorative T-shirts welcoming Nutba.