Shohei Ohtani's fiery pre-game pep talk urging teammates to "stop admiring" star-studded team USA inspires Japan to WBC glory
When Shohei Ohtani announced that he would be representing his country in his first-ever World Baseball Classic, everyone knew immediately that the Los Angeles Angels star would be a change-maker.
The two-way sensation lived up to and exceeded all expectations in the tournament. Ohtani finished the tournament with one home run and eight RBIs in seven games. On the mound, he struck out 11 over 9.2 innings, allowing just 2 earned runs.
After Ohtani combined with teammates Munetaka Murakami and Masataka Yoshida to complete a fairytale comeback against Mexico in the semifinals, Japan went on to face the USA in the final round.
A viral video from Team Japan's locker room deep in the bowels of LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, offered fans a rare glimpse of Ohtani's leadership abilities. The video featured Shohei Ohtani firing up his teammates ahead of the final.
Ohtani’s pregame speech:
“Let’s stop admiring them… If you admire them, you can’t surpass them. We came here to surpass them, to reach the top. For one day, let’s throw away our admiration for them and just think about winning.”
(h/t @dylanohernandez) https://t.co/hh441AaAzJ
"Ohtani's pregame speech: 'Let’s stop admiring them… If you admire them, you can’t surpass them. We came here to surpass them, to reach the top. For one day, let’s throw away our admiration for them and just think about winning.'" - Talkin' Baseball
In the video, Ohtani can be heard urging his teammates to "stop admiring" the star-studded USA. Until very recently, the USA was seen as far superior to other countries when it came to baseball, including Japan.
Team Japan's 3-2 win over the USA to capture their third World Baseball Classic title is not just a victory for the team, but for the game of baseball in Japan.
Although the USA featured a star-studded team, including Ohtani's Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout, Japan proved to be the better team. Many fans are taking the victory as proof that Japan's NPB should now be considered to be on equal footing with the MLB. Apart from Ohtani and a handful of other players, Japan's roster was entirely drawn from the NPB.
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
Shohei Ohtani is becoming the most sought-after player in all of baseball
As if winning the World Baseball Classic was not enough, Shohei Ohtani's one-year, $23 million contract with the Angels is set to expire at the end of the upcoming season. Many experts say that the 28-year-old phenom could draw offers exceeding $500 million. As such, Ohtani's rise to the status of superstar shows no signs of slowing down.