Japanese baseball team superstar Ohtani Shohei (LA Angels) took on the heavy responsibility of being the first starting pitcher in the preliminary round.
Ohtani was dropped as a starter in the first match of the qualifying round against China at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan at 7:00 pm on the 9th. At a press conference on the 8th, Japanese coach Hideki Kuriyama said, “I’ve watched Ohtani since his debut as a professional player. Ohtani is a player who can lead the team to victory.”
Just as Ohtani is writing a new history in the major leagues, all pitching in this WBC will also be played. As the Major League Secretariat supervises the tournament, a new ‘Otani Rule’ was created for Ohtani, who is participating in the tournament for the first time. The ‘Ohtani Rule’, which was first introduced in the major leagues last year, is a rule that has been amended only for the current Ohtani, allowing him to continue playing as a designated hitter even after the starting pitcher is replaced.
Ohtani, who changed the rules of the world’s best league and succeeded in ‘breaking the seal’ to the rules of the biggest international competition, pledged victory in the first WBC. At a press conference on the 8th, Ohtani said, “It’s my first time at the WBC, so I’m nervous, but I want to play like I normally do. I’m in good shape, so I’ll be happy if I do what I want.” 위너 토토
Ohtani continued, “I am confident that I will show my 100% ability. It is actually the first official match of the year, so I honestly do not know how far I can go. However, I think I will do well enough in my current condition.” On the 6th, in an evaluation match against the Hanshin Tigers, Ohtani showed good condition by posting 6 RBIs with a three-run gun in a row.
Regarding the ‘two-hitting game against China’ predicted by coach Kuriyama, “It’s my original play style, and if the team needs both pitching and hitting, of course I have to go. I want to do it,” he said.
Finally, Ohtani said, “There are great players from all over the world. Just like Japan, I want to have a good match because it is a tournament with really good players. Winning and losing will follow, but if all countries play well, it will be a great tournament.” ” was expected.