He is one of the most popular baseball players among international fans. Everyone wanted to see him in action against the Czech Republic, but that was not possible because the Japanese team decided to leave him off the roster.
The Japanese coaching staff decided to leave him on the bench to protect his arm, especially as he is coming off a recovery process. They want to take a careful approach with him after he had slight problems with his elbow.
On the other hand, the Samurai seek to protect him from the responsibilities assigned to him. For this edition, they prefer him to go to bat rather than pitch. They know that sending him to the center of the diamond is to risk him too much, even a major injury. That’s why it has been decided to limit his workload in the tournament.
The Dodgers’ pressure
The Japanese team knows that Ohtani is a very important asset for MLB. First of all, for the Dodgers, a two-time champion franchise that aspires to a third championship and to make history. The titles also reflect marketing profits from items sold, including those related to the Japanese player.
- In Japan, sports stores offer the Dodgers jersey with Shohei Ohtani’s name on it in a price range ranging from $200 to $500
Secondly, it is worth mentioning that the pitcher has great international projection. In fact, the World Baseball Classic is followed by millions of fans thanks to him, who has given relevance to the tournament.
The start of the Major League Baseball season is just around the corner. The Los Angeles organization wants to have its pitcher in excellent condition for the opening game. In order to avoid friction between Japan and Los Angeles, the player’s integrity is being carefully monitored.
Ohtani, Japan’s WBC hope
So far, he has hit two home runs, five RBIs and an on-base percentage of 2.055. As a designated hitter, he is the leader of his team’s offense in the World Baseball Classic and leads the hopes of winning the tournament.
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