Shohei Ohtani, Team Japan Get Historic Honor From Emperor Amid WBC
· Yahoo Sports
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is in Tokyo for the World Baseball Classic, and on Sunday morning, he and Team Japan will receive an honor from the Emperor of Japan.
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For the pool play game between Japan and Australia, Emperor Naruhito will be in attendance at the Tokyo Dome, making it the first time that the serving emperor will attend a professional baseball game in over 59 years.
The last time that an Emperor attended a professional game was back in 1966, when an All-Japan team faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in a friendly match.
Emperor Showa and his wife, Empress Kojun, were both witnesses to that game. The first pro game that an emperor attended was a Japanese League game in July 1959, played by the pair.
Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (16) and manager Hideki Kuriyama (89) enter the ballpark for team introductions against the USA at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY SportsSunday will be the third time Emperor Naruhito attends a WBC game, though he did so as the crown prince in 2006 and 2009.
Team Japan is one of the favorites to take home the WBC crown again, especially with Ohtani hitting at an otherworldly level and the team filled with quality professional experience — be it stateside or from the Japanese league.
In Japan, even the nation’s royalty seems eager to witness the golden age of the country’s baseball, with superhuman players like Ohtani representing them.
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Inside Japan’s golden age
Team Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata has spoken about how so many players from the country have gone to MLB and found success, as well as their WBC success, culminating in a 2023 WBC title.
“I think from a very young age, Japanese players play this style of baseball,” Ibata said through an interpreter on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings.
“You start from a very young age, you learn at a very young age, and you continue to progress as your life goes on.
“Those fundamentals, those philosophies, I think, really carry as these players mature, which is probably a big reason for the success for Japan in international tournaments.
“Especially high schoolers, I think they’re taught how to win. And I think they carry that mindset, they carry the mentality, all the way through when they’re pros, which I think has a big impact on why Japan is so successful.”
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Considering what players like Ohtani and Yamamoto have achieved, it is hard to argue that what Japan is teaching and cultivating in baseball is not working.