Shohei Ohtani (29, Los Angeles Angels), a representative player of the Japanese baseball team, expressed hope that world baseball will develop further.
On the 22nd (Korean time), Ohtani led the team to a 3-2 victory against the U.S. national team in the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC) final held at Londippo Park in Miami, Florida, USA.
On the mound in the top of the ninth inning, with a 3-2 lead, Ohtani allowed lead batter Jeff McNeil to walk and showed an uneasy appearance, but the next hitter, Mookie Betts, was caught with a double stroke in front of the second baseman and overcame the crisis. Immediately, he struck out Mike Trout, a teammate of the Angels and the best hitter on the U.S. national team, to end the game.
Japan, which won the 1st tournament in 2006 and 2nd tournament in 2009, has once again risen to the top of the world in 14 years thanks to Ohtani’s performance. Ohtani was named tournament MVP.
Ohtani participated in 7 games in this tournament and recorded a high batting average of 0.435 (10 hits in 23 bats), with 1 home run, 8 RBIs and 9 runs.
In addition, Ohtani, who pitched in 3 games (9⅔ innings), performed remarkably with 2 wins and 1 save and an average ERA of 1.86.
“I am proud to represent my country at the WBC,” said Ohtani.
Ohtani, who played as a starting pitcher for most of his professional career, said honestly, “The experience of playing once in the bullpen in 2016 was great. That experience made me think ‘I can do it’.” 스포츠토토
Regarding dealing with Trout, he explained, “I wanted to throw a ball that would leave no regrets whether it was hit or blocked by Trout. Trout is a great hitter, so it was nice to be able to block it somehow.”
Ohtani said, “I’m really happy because I was dreaming of being the best in the world. It’s sad that the WBC is over. Now the major league season begins. I’m lonely, but I’ll do my best in the major leagues.”
Ohtani also mentioned that he wants world baseball to develop further.
He said, “I hope that Japan’s victory will be a victory that will enable many countries such as Korea, Taiwan, and China to love baseball even more.”