Japanese television stuck to its live coverage of Miami for nearly two hours after the game ended.
It was a show to watch over and over again.
The shot near the outside corner of home plate that allowed Shohei Ohtani to moose out Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout and end the game was featured as a replay on repeat between player interviews, images of the locker room washed down with beer and the traditional ceremony where members of the winning team toss their manager and teammates into the air.
Yomiurithe country’s main newspaper, published a special Wednesday afternoon edition for commuters, usually reserved for serious state affairs, breaking election news or, like last year, the assassination of the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan, number 1 in the world
can we read in the main headline, in Japanese, while users of Shibuya station jostled to seize this collector’s item.
Ohtani’s victory and focus over the past two weeks has served to distract from economic malaise, North Korea’s missile threats, China’s rise in Asia and its implications for Japan.
It also gave a boost to baseball in Japan, which is now rivaled by soccer as the country’s favorite sport.
Recall that Shohei Ohtani, named MVP of the competition, came out of the bullpen to face Trout and close the debate.
Ohtani, who has captivated baseball fans on two continents, hit a single in the seventh inning as the designated hitter, then walked down the left-field line to the bullpen to warm up before returning to the field. mound.
The pitcher walked Jeff McNeil before getting Mookie Betts to hit on a double play.
Trout, the U.S. captain and three-time major league MVP, was then struck out.
Ohtani hit .435 with 1 homer, 4 doubles, 8 RBIs and 10 walks during the competition.
Japan joined the 2013 edition of the Dominican Republic to become the only undefeated champions in the history of the competition.
Back in 2026
And just before this final, the organizers confirmed that the World Baseball Classic will return for its sixth edition in three years. They believe that spring training camp is still the best time to introduce it, rather than after the World Series or in the middle of the major league baseball season.
On Tuesday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said owners and general managers need to be convinced to make more star pitchers available to national teams.
Since its inception in 2006, the World Baseball Classic has been held in March, before the opening day of the major league seasons in North America, Japan and South Korea.
We talked about the calendar until we got a headache
said Manfred figuratively.
There is no perfect time. You can’t really do it after the playoffs because a lot of players have been inactive. We talked about something in the middle of the season. I think all things considered, even if it’s not perfect, it’s probably a good time to do it.
Many Major League Baseball teams barred pitchers from participating, as they wanted them to focus on preparing for the start of the season.
