Shohei Ohtani stokes national pride in Japan with World Series debut
The World Series debut of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is being closely watched in his home country of Japan, where he is a national hero.
OSHU CITY, Japan — In Oshu, the small rural town where Shohei Ohtani grew up, baseball is as much a part of the landscape as the farmers’ fields and low-rise hills surrounding it. The area has long been known for its beef and ironwork. Now it’s famous for Ohtani.
In recent days, local officials organized watch parties at community centers where supporters waved inflatable sticks hailing Ohtani as “The Pride of Oshu City” as his Los Angeles Dodgers took on the New York Yankees in Ohtani’s first World Series, which the Dodgers won in Game 5 on Wednesday.
As they watched Game 4 from Japan a day earlier, Yasuo Sakamoto, 74, and his wife, Keiko, 70, wore the Dodgers jerseys and hats they got when they visited Los Angeles this summer to see Ohtani play.
“Even at my age, I’m really awed by him,” Yasuo Sakamoto said of Ohtani. “In Japan when there’s news about Ohtani, it’s bright news. If they win, it’s going to be even brighter.”
After having lost the first three games to the Dodgers, the Yankees fended off a potential sweep in Game 4, winning 11-4 at home. But the Dodgers came from behind after being down 5-0 to win Game 5 and the World Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, rallying to a 7-6 victory.
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