In the finals of the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC) held on March 22, 2023, Japan vs USA, pitcher Shohei Otani, who went up to the mound in the final round, drew attention to the last pitch he threw being collect
The ball that Mike Trout hit out at bat and decided Japan’s championship is said to be similar to the ball that Yu Darvish hit when Japan won the WBC 14 years ago.
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Shohei Ohtani (Photo: AP/Aflo)
“I feel destiny”
2 outs in the 9th inning lead 3-2. Ohtani took the baton from Darvish and took the mound as the seventh pitcher to face fellow Angels Mike Trout. At the end, he took a stunning blow from the full count and decided to win.
The last thing Ohtani threw was a slider that eluded the right-hander’s outer corner. Darvish’s go-ahead ball in the 2009 tournament final against South Korea was also a slider that eluded the right-handed hitter’s outer corner. Even at this time, the opponent’s batsman is whipping and striking out.
To this agreement, on the web,
“It was great to feel that it was inherited as a play…!”
Voices of emotion collected.
