Mike Trout concedes "Round 1" to Shohei Ohtani in heavyweight bout with the Japanese two-way superstar
Cinema at its finest is what it was!
The World Baseball Classic 2023 was special for a number of reasons and it sure didn't disappoint a single soul. Except for a few Americans maybe!
The final was a nail-biting clash between heavyweights America and Japan, with the latter clinching it 3-2 in a hotly contested affair at the at loanDepot Park in Miami.
A perfect 7-0 #WorldBaseballClassic performance from Team Japan! https://t.co/3H6sBioS8D
"A perfect 7-0 #WorldBaseballClassic performance from Team Japan!" - World Baseball Classic, Twitter
The end was an absolute thriller, however, and quite truly a dream scenario for baseball lovers. It was a clash between the Los Angeles Angels titans. Ohtani struck out his MLB teammate Mike Trout with a full-count slider to seal his country's third title at the Classic.
SHOHEI OHTANI STRIKES OUT MIKE TROUT TO WIN THE #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC! https://t.co/F7vUtIiRR1
"SHOHEI OHTANI STRIKES OUT MIKE TROUT TO WIN THE #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC" - MLB, Twitter
Gracious in defeat, Trout caught up with USA Today analyst Bob Nightengale after the match to share his thoughts. A true ambassador of the game, Trout admitted Shohei Ohtani was a much better player on the day and came up with the shots when required. Trout also conceded that Ohtani successfully won round 1 between them!
Mike Trout on the Shohei Ohtani matchup:
"He won Round 1.''
"Mike Trout on the Shohei Ohtani matchup: "He won Round 1,'' Bob Nightengale, Twitter
The Mike Trout vs Shohei Ohtani matchup did not disappoint
The clash between the two Angels teammates and good friends Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout definitely lived up to the hype.
While there had to be one winner and one loser, Trout was humble in defeat, awarding Ohtani round one in what looks like an exciting rivalry in the making.
Trout vs Ohtani lived up to the HYPE! #WorldBaseballClassic https://t.co/Z8aZAjpDRg
"Trout vs Ohtani lived up to the HYPE! #WorldBaseballClassic" - World Baseball Classic, Twitter
The exciting match concluded with a dramatic ninth innings, where Ohtani outshone Mike Trout to seal his country's unprecedented third title in the event's history. This victory marked yet another milestone in Ohtani's already impressive resume as he lived upto the "unicorn" tag at the highest level of baseball.