‘Ohtani (29) throws and Trout (32) appears at bat.’
This is the biggest box office card of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and it’s the stuff of dreams. In the United States and Japan, there are already reports about the possibility of a pitching match between the two players in the championship round.
CBS, an American broadcasting company, said on the 14th, “One of the greatest pleasures of the WBC is that it offers an often unseen clash,” and “It’s a clash between Premier League teammates.” He also said, “The most interesting ‘forbidden fruit’ game in this WBC is the matchup between the Japanese and American teams, and the possibility that Shohei Ohtani could pitch to LA Angels teammate Mike Trout.”
Of course, the success of this conflict is questionable. That’s what American and Japanese baseball fans want, but from the organizers’ point of view, there won’t be a bigger hit at the box office than this.
Japan advanced to the quarter-finals by winning all four matches in Group B in the first round of the WBC. The shot was also hot. He outscored the opposition by an average of 7 or more points per game. On the 16th, Japan is set to play Italy, who are second in Group A, in the quarter-finals. Ohtani will be the starting pitcher in the quarterfinal game against Italy at the Tokyo Dome. In the game against China on the 9th, he had already led Japan to their first win with 4 innings, 1 hit, 5 strikeouts, and no runs. As a hitter, he showed the true side of the ‘two handed style’ with 2 hits in 4 at-bats, 2 RBI, 1 run and 2 walks.
Ohtani plays the role of a reliever for Japan with a .500 batting average (6 hits in 12 at-bats), 1 home run, and 8 RBI in the first round of the WBC.
However, Major League Baseball (MLB), which opens on the 31st, has emerged as an obstacle to Ohtani’s WBC move.
Ohtani is the starting pitcher for the Angels’ Major League Opening Day. If all goes according to plan, Ohtani should return to his team, the Angels, on the 24th. After taking the mound in the big league exhibition game on the 25th, he must start the big league opener on the 31st.
For this reason, unless Ohtani gives up the big league opener based on Japan’s victory in the quarterfinals, it will be difficult for him to play in games beyond the semifinals. If Japan wins in the quarter-finals, they will take a chartered flight to Miami, USA, and play the semi-finals on the 21st (8:00 am).
Angels coach Phil Nevin said, “From my understanding, Ohtani will play in the quarterfinals, and from the 24th, it will be time for the Angels in any position.” I will play and get on the mound as a starter for the opener against the Oakland Athletics on the 31st.”
On the other hand, Ohtani showed his will to win the WBC, saying, “We haven’t had a direct conversation and nothing has been decided yet,” in response to reporters’ questions regarding Nevin’s coach’s comments.
CBS predicted that Ohtani would advance the Japanese national team to the semifinals and go to his team, the Los Angeles Angels.
It is very likely that the quarterfinals will be Ohtani’s last game at WBC.
However, in this case, it is inevitable that Japan or the organizers, who are aiming for the highest position in 14 years after winning the 1st and 2nd WBC tournaments, will remain regretful. For the WBC Organizing Committee and Japan, having Ohtani support the team in pitching is the best choice for box office success and performance.
