Ohtani's "Make a ceremony" instruction, a special order for 'GOAT', which received more attention than the defeat against Orix

*This content was translated by AI.

The Japanese national baseball team recalls that time three years ago. Shohei Ohtani (32, Los Angeles Dodgers) is trying to continue his pleasant jinx at the time by asking his teammates to make a ceremony.

The Japanese national team lost 3-4 to the Orix Buffaloes at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, on the 2nd.

However, the superstar-studded Samurai Japan created another issue than just the result of the practice game. It's a behind-the-scenes story of the ceremony.

Japanese media Sponizia Nex said on the 3rd, "Otani kept giving wrong instructions," adding, "I gave Wataru Kitayama a special order, but he ended up failing the '茶' performance."

Ohtani, who played as the second designated hitter on the day, had no hits in three at-bats, but no one suspected Ohtani. The team atmosphere was also pleasant. "Otani raised the team's atmosphere by ordering Kitayama to devise the team's new ceremony," the media said. "Following the 'Pepper Mill (Pepper)' ceremony, which was popular at the last tournament, Kitayama presented the '茶' pose,' but Ohtani's final approval was put on hold."

Three years ago, Japan won the World Baseball Classic (WBC), and it was Japan's ceremony that made headlines at the time. After the hit, he twisted both hands, which was led by Japanese big leaguer Las Nutba (St. Louis) as a "Pepper Mill" ceremony. It was conceived in the sense of "grind" and "grind out" meant that it would persistently do it until successful. In the end, he took the action of grinding pepper to mean "Let's make a score persistently," and Japan's victory increased the symbolism of the ceremony.

Ohtani recalled the time and was smiling at the pre-match squad meeting. Kitayama, a junior during his time at Nippon Ham, stood at the center of the circle, turned the teacup clockwise twice with his right hand, and brought the entrance to the front to show a tea ceremony (茶 method).

According to the media, the performance began with Ohtani's wrong instructions. The day before, Ohtani ordered Kitayama to "decide and announce a new ceremony tomorrow." It was because of the memory of uniting and reaching the top of the world with the Las Nutba "Pepper Mill" ceremony during the 2023 competition, and Kitayama confessed, "I was so worried that I couldn't even sleep."

It was meaningful. Kitayama said, "I thought Japan's traditional pose would be good as we fight on the world stage. Ohtani is working as a model for the car manufacturer (Itoen)," he said, completing the "Car Pose" aimed at Ohtani, the global ambassador of Itoen's "Oh~i Ocha," but the response was cold.

In fact, after Masataka Yoshida and Wakatsuki hit on the day, they performed this new ceremony, and Ohtani said, "As expected, I can't do it. Think again tonight," he said. "It's really hard," Kitayama said. "My influence is weak. If Ohtani or Seiya Suzuki do it directly on the base, it will spread at once. I will trust and wait," he said, expressing his eagerness.

Suzuki said, "The response is not very good, so I think it will change again. I want to do something that can lighten the atmosphere more," he said, laughing, and Ohtani got on the national team bus with only a smile on his face without any special answers to related questions.

Meanwhile, Ohtani played as a member of the Samurai Japan 1077 days after the final against the U.S. on March 21, 2023, and according to the media, he wowed 33,821 spectators despite being hitless in three times at bat.

After the game, he impressed fans once again by holding an impromptu signing event for boy fans who asked for autographs.

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*This content was translated by AI.