The annual World Baseball Classic lived up to the hype and its name, as Japan defeated the United States in dramatic fashion Tuesday in Miami, Florida by a final of 3-2.
The drama was heightened by the managerial decision of Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama. With Japans best pitcher, and perhaps the best in Major League Baseball waiting in the wings in the person of Shohei Ohtani, Kuriyama saved him until the end. Mike Trout, the Angel teammate of Ohtani stepped to the plate in the 9th, and the drama was palpable. The Sporting News reported:
The World Baseball Classic ended the only way it could: With Shohei Ohtani pitching against Mike Trout with gold on the line.
USA vs. Japan was an absolute thriller wire to wire but for every home run as these teams traded blows, there was a question that loomed in the background: Would the Angels teammates get a chance to face each other?
Ohtani is a starter by trade, but also an everyday position player as well. He is truly a generational talent. Pitchers typically can’t hit, but Ohtani hits for average and power, slugging 34 home runs in 2022.
Champion.
MVP.
Closer.#WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/eQ9Wv995AR— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 22, 2023
His teammate Mike Trout is also a once in a generation talent. As the two cultures collided in the biggest moment of the tournament, the teammates stared each other down. The Sporting News continued:
Ohtani, an MLB starter, was held from pitching until the ninth inning by Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama. His first pitch was 101 mph and spiked in the dirt against Jeff McNeil. However, after walking Jeff McNeil, the player of a generation settled himself in. He induced a double play off the bat of Mookie Betts, and that set up a matchup with Trout himself.
Although Trout may not have been actively thinking in this way, he clearly understood the gravity of the moment. He took the first pitch for a strike to settle himself, and found himself in a full count against his Los Angeles teammate after swinging through two 100 mph fastball. Ohtani, however, rose to the occasion, and got Trout swinging on a tendency-breaking slider to end the game and give Japan the gold medal with a 3-2 victory.
It was Japan’s first WBC title since 2007, and they didn’t lose a game in the process. The USA wasn’t able to defend their latest crown despite boasting an all star lineup of American major-leaguers. The Japanese take their baseball very seriously and talent wise have all but closed the gap between their players and Americas.
A parade of pitchers from Japan kept Team USA’s highly-touted lineup all game. Whether it was starter Shota Imanaga; middle relievers Shosei Togo, Hiroto Takahashi, Hiromi Itoh, Taisei Ota, and Yu Darvish; or closer and WBC MVP Ohtani, the staff showed why it was the most highly-regarded pitching staff heading into the WBC.
Japan finished the tournament 7-0, the second ever team to finish the WBC undefeated, joining the 2013 Dominican Republic squad. It was a storybook performance with a storybook ending, and Japan lived up to its reputation not just in this game, but in the entire tournament.
In a tournament like this with a dizzying array of world-class talent on the mound, runs were at a premium, and Japan was able to squeeze one more than their American counterparts.
Still, despite the rise of Japan baseball, their players often come to America to play in the majors, so our status as the top dog in the world, at least on the diamond isn’t in question. However, the WBC displayed that baseball is still the American pastime, even if we finished second.
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