The World Baseball Classic (WBC) saw Japan’s national baseball team, Samurai Japan, engulf the archipelago in excitement. While the great performances of pitcher Shohei Otani and others encouraged the nation, MLB’s official reporter Michael Clair, who actively promoted Japanese food and culture and captivated fans, also became a beloved figure among baseball fans.
Official MLB reporter Michael Clair responded to the interview[Photo: Editorial Department]
[Exclusive Interview Part 1]Claire reporter who became a hot topic after sharing Japanese food and culture on WBC
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) saw Japan’s national baseball team, Samurai Japan, engulf the archipelago in excitement. While the great performances of pitcher Shohei Otani and others encouraged the nation, MLB’s official reporter Michael Clair, who actively promoted Japanese food and culture and captivated fans, also became a beloved figure among baseball fans.
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After returning from the Tokyo round, he was greeted at the office with the message, “This is a visit from a man famous for his sweets.” It’s been 9 months since then. “THE ANSWER” is an exclusive interview with reporter Claire just before the Christmas break. We asked them to look back on their memories of coming to Japan and the connections that Japanese sweets have created. The first part is about Japan’s surprising baseball culture. (Interviewed and written by THE ANSWER Editorial Department, Masahiro Hokohisa)
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Fans from Osaka surprised reporter Claire on her first visit to Japan. The reporter, who has been following Samurai Japan since the training camp in Miyazaki, also covered the training match against Hanshin held at Kyocera Dome on March 6th. Pitcher Shohei Ohtani (currently with the Dodgers) attracted a lot of attention as it was his first appearance in an actual game after joining the team, but the outpouring of support for his favorite team was as loud as any of the world’s biggest stars.
“I was actually surprised. Osaka fans love their home team so much. I thought that when Ohtani showed up, everyone would go wild and cheer. But the cheers were more for the home team. It was big. I thought it was great. It was like, ‘Ohtani is great, but we’re rooting for our team.’
Claire, who responded to an online interview from her home in New York, looked back on her days in Japan with a smile on her face. He said, “That was the day I ordered an alcoholic drink by mistake.” The story of a player mistaking the lemon sour sold at the stadium for lemonade and ordering it is hilarious. Enjoy Takoyaki in Osaka. I rode the Shinkansen for the first time in my life and traveled to Tokyo, the site of the decisive battle.
Once I started talking about my memories from the Tokyo Round, I couldn’t stop. “When it comes to baseball, there are two moments that stand out.” The first thing I mentioned was the come-from-behind 3-run hit by Czech national team infielder Martin Muzyk in the 9th inning of a game against China on March 10th. He added, “Ohtani’s batting practice. Everyone, including the opposing team’s players, was sitting and watching. Before the rival showdown with South Korea, Korean players came onto the field just to watch his batting practice. I was sitting there. I’ll never forget that.” The story didn’t fit into these two.
Unexpected memories at Tokyo Dome: “After the national anthem was played…”
2023-12-31 03:16:03
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