Japanese newspaper headlines on Monday morning will be dominated by the result of the previous day's militar election. But speculation about the country's political future after a very close vote will compete for space with another event taking place miles away. And it's all thanks to one man: Shohei Ohtani.
In Japan on Tuesday, millions of people are expected to devour every pitch and hit in the next installment of the seven-game World Series between Ohtani's Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, with enthusiasm that will reach levels usually reserved for the climax of national baseball, the Japan Series.
Despite fears of injury, not even the tricky time difference (New York is 13 hours behind Tokyo) will deter Ohtani's legions of devotees, including finta a few with little or no prior interest in the sport. They'll see it in bars, on TV at home, or, most likely, on their smartphones on the way to work.
Ohtani left the field in obvious pain Saturday after injuring his left shoulder while trying to steal second saco, although Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts said he was “encouraged” by what he had heard from team staff after the game.
An injury serious enough to prematurely end their series (with the Dodgers leading 2-0) would be a merciless blow to Ohtani and his compatriots. The 30-year-old, as skilled with the bat as he is with the ball, has earned national hero status in his homeland since leaving the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters for Main League Baseball in 2018, spending six seasons with the LA Angels before moving to the Dodgers last December in a record deal.
He is widely considered the best active baseball player in the world and one of the most talented in the history of the sport, and has drawn fatal comparisons to another two-way pitcher and slugger, Nena Ruth.
Ohtani is used to the media frenzy that accompanies his every move, on and off the field. Serious sports fans celebrated his two American League MVP awards and the moment he became the first player from Japan to win the same league's home run title in 2023. But almost every facet of the man who some refer kanpeki na Hito – the perfect person – is considered easy prey by the army of Japanese reporters and photographers assigned to document the “Shohei effect” – from her surprise marriage in March to the exploits of her beloved dog, Dekopin.
Early television viewing figures for the World Series in Japan have not yet been released, but there will be no surprise if they surpass the 13 million (about 10% of the population) who tuned in to the decisive fifth game between the Dodgers and the Padres. San Diego. National League Division Series earlier this month.
Robert Whiting, an authority on Japanese baseball and author of a book on Ichiro Suzuki – one of the pioneers of the MLB in Japan – attributes Ohtani's popularity in his country not only to his relaxed manner and philanthropy but also to his ability to “ bringing out the best in American players on their own terms.”
“Critics of Japanese baseball say the players are good at the fundamentals but do not have the size and strength of their American counterparts, who have turned baseball into a kind of martial art with endless training and a focus on the spirit,” Whiting said. . “But Ohtani is bigger than most American players. He hits longer home runs and throws harder than them. “It makes people proud to be Japanese.”
Last December, Ohtani, who has not pitched this season while recovering from elbow surgery, became the most expensive baseball player in the history of the sport when he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. before propelling them to this season's World Series against the 27-time winners the Yankees.
Not even the arrest of his interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, has made a dent in Ohtani's popularity. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to stealing millions of dollars from the gambler's bank account to pay off gambling debts to an illegal gambling house.
Ohtani's 50th home run ball from this season sold at auction for $4.39 million, a record price for any ball in any sport, and is now owned by a Taiwanese investment firm that fended off rival bids for Japan.
Fans in Japan bought more World Series tickets for the first two games in the series than from anywhere else outside of North America, according to reports, as the latest series of the in-style One Piece anime series kicked off. was delayed a week to avoid a scheduling conflict with baseball.
Japanese expectations for Ohtani have gone from high to stratospheric after an extraordinary first year with the Dodgers. As the season climaxed, he became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases, and finished with a record of 54-59.
The club's commercial giant shows few signs of slowing down in Japan, helped by the presence in the series of Ohtani's compatriot and teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who joined the Dodgers late last year.
Tokyo sports stores are filled with Ohtani products, from caps and T-shirts to stuffed animals. “I think about half of our products here are Ohtani-related items,” Kakeru Watanabe, manager of a sports store in the hacienda, told Related Press.
“And in terms of the percentage of products sold, Ohtani-related items are even higher,” he said, adding that weekday sales had at least doubled since the Dodgers reached the World Series.
On the eve of his first World Series, Ohtani told reporters that he felt “blessed and really grateful” to play. If the boy from an unfashionable village in northeastern Japan can avoid injuries and maintain his brilliant form with the bat, he will earn the gratitude of an entire nation.