Tokyo (AFP) – Japan revelled Monday in a “golden age” for the nation’s baseball led by Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto after they played starring roles in the Los Angeles Dodgers winning back-to-back World Series. Yamamoto in particular delivered one of the most remarkable pitching performances in World Series history, emerging from the bullpen in the decisive game seven to guide the Dodgers to a thrilling 5–4 extra-innings victory at the Toronto Blue Jays. The 27-year-old’s heroic display came less than 24 hours after throwing 96 pitches as the starter in Friday’s series-levelling game six.
It was a feat that defied both logic and baseball convention — normally elite pitchers are granted several days’ rest after seeing significant duty — and saw him named World Series Most Valuable Player. Yamamoto even trumped superstar compatriot and fellow Dodger Ohtani in the news coverage back home. The pitcher, described by one teammate as “a psychopath” for his resilience, was splashed across the front pages of major national newspapers in Japan.
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“Yoshinobu Yamamoto MVP. Biggest driving force behind Dodgers’ back-to-back victory,” said the headline in the usually staid Nikkei business daily. The Sanyo Shimbun, in Yamamoto’s home region of Okayama, devoted most of its front page to their local hero and the Dodgers’ win. “Cultivating a golden age with Ohtani, Sasaki,” said a headline. Japan’s top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun issued an online extra edition on Sunday afternoon.
The Dodgers were the first team in 25 years to win successive World Series and with Yamamoto, Ohtani and Roki Sasaki in their ranks, the team are closely watched in baseball-mad Japan. The Dodgers are probably more familiar to Japanese fans than teams from their own country. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a big baseball fan, wrote on X: “I hold great hope that all Japanese Major Leaguers, and indeed all Japanese athletes, will continue to flourish at the centre of the world stage, providing dreams and hope for the Japanese people.”
When US President Donald Trump visited Japan last week, Takaichi said the two leaders caught a glimpse of the World Series together before they sat down for formal talks. Takaichi is a passionate supporter of the Hanshin Tigers, who advanced to the Japan Series but lost to the SoftBank Hawks. “Though my beloved Hanshin Tigers missed out on the Japan Series title, as someone who firmly believes in the resilience of Japan and the Japanese people, the outstanding achievements of Japanese players overseas are truly heartening news,” she wrote on X.
© 2024 AFP
