*This content was translated by AI.
"Let's stop admiring (the American players)."
This is what Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers) called out Japanese players in the locker room and emphasized ahead of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) final against the United States. And Japan beat the U.S. 3-2 with a perfect pitch by Ohtani, who became the closer.
It is now a story that will be applied to Korean players. The Korean national baseball team will face the Czech Republic (5th), Japan (7th), Taiwan (8th), and Australia (9th) in order in the 2026 WBC group stage in Tokyo, Japan from the 5th.
The most difficult opponent is Japan. There are many big leaguers, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LA Dodgers), the hero of the world's biggest baseball star, Yusei Kikuchi (LA Angels), Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox), Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs), Tomoyuki Sugano (Colorado Rockies), and Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox) and Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto Blue Jays), who became the world's best baseball star.
In particular, Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Suzuki are superstars who are driving huge issues on the U.S. stage. They are too big for the Korean national team, which was called the "frog in the well" after being eliminated from the group stage for three consecutive times.
When you meet on the ground, you are just an enemy. Won Tae-in (Samsung) previously said in an interview with reporters during the national team's call-up training, "In that case, I think I should play with the mindset that I should give up my respect and win," adding, "It was so impressive that Ohtani said, 'Let's not go to Seoul' in the WBC final." Reflecting on that, I think I'll play," he vowed.
Now, it should be recognized simply as one of the opposing team's players. Only then can Japan achieve something big like it beat the U.S. in the final three years ago.
However, it is true that the status of the Japanese national team players is higher than ever before. There is a concern that when facing them, they will be captivated by the admiration or pressure that comes naturally when they see a star player rather than a strong desire to beat them somehow.
In fact, the status of Japanese players is now a big topic in Japan. He is paying attention to every move of the Japanese national team. Sports Hochi said on the 1st, "Otani moved to Osaka via Shinkansen. More than 300 fans gathered at Nagoya Station in an official Samurai Japan suit, causing havoc," the report said.
Police were dispatched in preparation for an accident and tried to prevent an accident that could happen. The police calmed down the fans by shouting to maintain order. "Never push," he said, trying to prevent accidents.
The Japanese national baseball team got on a train bound for Osaka to play the Orix Buffaloes on the 1st and 2nd and the Hanshin Tigers on the 3rd.
The most important issue was Ohtani, who is now a world star. "Otani's appearance quickly paralyzed Nagoya Station," Sports Hochi said. The 300 fans at the scene were "Otani Award", "Where are you?" Where?' there was a commotion. The station staff were desperate to secure the team's passage, such as dividing the section with tape, and even the police were dispatched and shouted, "It's dangerous, so never push."
As much as the status has changed, I also feel that I should protect the throne more. Ohtani joined the team in Nagoya on the 26th after arriving on a chartered flight through Haneda Airport on the 24th of last month. He said, "There are some areas where my head is blank because I am adjusting to the time difference," but added, "As in the last competition, there will be many games with great pressure, but my mindset is not much different. I think every game is precious, and just because you won last time doesn't mean you can easily win again this time. I think it's most important to show our baseball properly," he said.
Many fans visited the training site, and Ohtani made 28 swings on the 27th and turned 11 over the fence, and hit nine home runs on the 28th, including a 160-meter-long home run, drawing an explosive response from the crowd.
Sports Hochi said, "The Otani Fever, which draws attention to his every move, continues, with a huge roar every time Ohtani appears at the training site."
In fact, Korea will play in the heart of the enemy. He will take on the WBC stage with the task of confronting the enthusiastic support of Japanese fans.
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*This content was translated by AI.
