Will the name Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels) resonate all over the world?
The 2023 World Baseball Classic (W바카라사이트BC) ends with the finals at 8:00 am (Korean time) on the 22nd. Although Korea left the pain of being eliminated in the group stage, Japan advanced to the final with the momentum of winning all six matches from the group stage to the semi-finals to meet the “defending champion” USA. The final will be held on the 22nd at Londipo Park in Miami, Florida, USA.
The confrontation between Japan and the United States is a ‘big match’ aimed at by the Major League Secretariat, which prepares for the WBC even before the tournament. The matchup between Mike Trout (USA) and Ohtani (Japan), teammates of the Angels and representative players of each team, is also a ‘dream matchup’ that has never been done in the major leagues.
Ohtani appeared in 2 games as a pitcher until the 21st in this tournament and recorded an average ERA of 2.08 with 2 wins, 8⅔ innings, 5 hits, 1 strikeout and 1 walk, and as a hitter, as a designated hitter 3 times in all 6 games, 9 hits in 20 at-bats ( 1 home run) 8 RBIs, 9 runs, a batting average of 0.450, OPS of 1.421, and the ‘dream of dual wielding style’ is unfolding to its heart’s content.
This tournament is actually the stage for Ohtani’s coronation. Ohtani, who won the 2021 American League unanimous MVP, will be playing for the first time in the WBC. The secretariat prepared a stage for him to play by applying the ‘Otani Rule’, which allows him to play as a designated hitter after the starting pitcher is replaced, in this tournament following the major league.
Ohtani is highly likely to play as the designated hitter in the final, but the possibility of a bullpen appearance is also open. Originally, the club and the Japanese national team had agreed to play as a pitcher only until the quarterfinals to start the opening game on the 31st of this month, but Ohtani expressed his willingness to pitch in the bullpen ahead of the championship and obtained permission from the Angels.
If Ohtani jumps out of the bullpen to face Trout, it could create a scene the world can’t take their eyes off. The Major League is also a league watched by people around the world, but since the international competition in which 20 countries participated in the world has a wider audience, it is expected that Ohtani’s star quality will become more widely known.
After Ohtani hit in the 6th inning, walked in the 7th inning, and hit a double in the 9th inning in the semifinal match, Ohtani raised the atmosphere with a roar and shared the joy by stepping home to Munetaka Murakami’s finish. Attention is focusing on whether Ohtani will be able to complete this tournament perfectly by achieving his dream of winning the first WBC.