Japanese baseball team pitcher Ohtani Shohei (LA Angels) revealed his thoughts on the World Baseball Classic (WBC) Korea-Japan match.안전놀이터
Japan and Korea are in Group B of the same preliminary round at the WBC, which starts on the 9th of next month at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Japan and Korea face each other on the 10th. Japan expects Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres) or Ohtani as the starter for the match against Korea. Japanese coach Hideki Kuriyama has not disclosed the selection yet.
In the 2015 Premier12, Ohtani showed a terrifyingly excellent pitch against South Korea. He appeared in two games against Korea and recorded 3 hits and 21 strikeouts in 13 innings. However, as he later advanced to the major leagues, his return to the national team took eight years.
Not only the pitcher, but also the batter, Ohtani, is scary. The Angels club discussed with coach Kuriyama that Ohtani could play as a starting pitcher and designated hitter in the WBC, considering that it would be difficult for Japan to get in shape for the opening season if Japan advanced to the finals. Even if Ohtani does not pitch against Korea, he is likely to serve as the designated hitter.
Ohtani, who held a press conference at the Angels Spring Camp on the 17th, was asked how he felt about going to the WBC, saying, “It was a tournament I’ve always wanted to go to someday since I was an elementary school student when I started baseball, but the timing didn’t match.” .
Recalling the 2015 Premier 12 match against Korea, Ohtani said, “I still don’t know if the players I faced last time are still in this tournament. there is,” he said.
Regarding the Korea-Japan match, “I’ve seen a lot of matches against Korea so far, but it doesn’t have a big impact on me. Personally, I like Korean players. When I meet Korean players in the major leagues, I always talk to them. All of them are good players, so I can meet them. I look forward to it,” he replied.
After live pitching on the 25th, Ohtani will join the Japanese national team after starting an exhibition game against the Milwaukee Brewers on the 2nd of next month. When asked, “Is there anything different from the previous year because of the WBC?” Ohtani dismissed, “Nothing else. The schedule hasn’t changed too much. I have no intention of trying anything else.”