By Irene Wang and Rocky Swift
TOKYO (Reuters) – Baseball mania reached fever pitch in Japan on Friday with public appearances of national hero Shohei Ohtani and other Japanese players set to take part in MLB season-opening games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.
Ohtani’s World Series champion Dodgers and the Cubs will take the field at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday and Wednesday after playing exhibition games against the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s pro league at the weekend.
Hundreds gathered at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Thursday hoping to welcome the arrival of the Dodgers from the United States, only for the team to be spirited away from the crowds.
Yukiko Nakamura was among the disappointed fans who waited in vain for a glimpse of Ohtani at Haneda.
“I couldn’t get a ticket (to the matches and training), so I hoped that I could at least meet him here at the airport,” Nakamura said.
More fans amassed outside the Tokyo Dome on Friday as the teams held practice inside.
Ohtani told reporters he was still recovering from jet lag and was quick to share the spotlight with his fellow Major Leaguers.
“In addition to the Japanese players I mentioned before, there will be other great players who represent the world with their own unique personalities,” Ohtani said.
“So I think it would be great if people could genuinely enjoy the power, speed, and other aspects that are the real appeal of Major League Baseball.”
The homecoming for Ohtani, who won his third Most Valuable Player award last year, follows a story book year for the pitching and batting phenomenon, as well as growing success for Japanese players in the majors.
Giving his surgically repaired pitching arm a rest, Ohtani became MLB’s first 50 home run, 50 stolen bases man, culminating in a World Series in his first year with the Dodgers after six frustrating seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani is joined by Japanese teammates Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, both pitchers, on the Dodgers, while the Cubs have outfielder Seiya Suzuki and pitcher Shota Imanaga.
It marks the highest representation of Japanese players in the six times MLB has held season openers in Japan since 2000.
“It’s really all thanks to the Japanese players that came before us who created the stepping stones for us to be here now,” Suzuki told reporters.
“And I think I want to be kind of the stepping stone for the future generation of Japanese players to come and play in the MLB.”
(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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