best barefoot shoes

Exclusive Content:

Shohei Ohtani’s Japanese hometown watches LA Dodgers reach brink of World Series

best barefoot shoes

Signs around Shohei Ohtani’s hometown in northern Japan proclaim him “The Pride of Oshu City”.

They may be able to proclaim him as a World Series champion soon.

Hundreds of fans filed into a public viewing centre in Ohtani’s hometown on Tuesday morning to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Yankees 4-2 to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven World Series.

Hundreds of adults watrching baseball in a pubic viewing, banging noise makers

Hundreds of people in Shohei Ohtani’s hometown watch game three of the World Series. (AP: Eugene Hoshiko)

Those fans will surely be tuned in again on Wednesday morning AEDT, when Ohtani and the Dodgers have a chance to clinch the championship.

“I’m extremely happy because the Dodgers, with Ohtani, have won three in a row and are one win away from the World Series title,” Shoichi Segawa said.

Ohtani was hitless in the game, but fans got what they came for over a long morning of watching baseball: a Dodgers victory.

They lined up outside the Oshu City Cultural Center, a 500-seat auditorium, to watch their local hero in a live telecast.

Many came dressed in Dodger Blue — caps or jerseys — and were supplied with various noisemakers, including thunder sticks. The hall was adorned with posters announcing Ohtani as “The Pride of Oshu City”.

Ohtani, playing two days after dislocating his left shoulder in game two, drew a walk on his first at-bat. That drew wild cheers from the 250 fans attending, who chanted: “Go, Go. Shohei.” 

Then came even more cheers when the Dodgers took a 2-0 lead on Freddie Freeman’s home run.

“He’s more like a Japanese treasure than just a local [treasure],” said fan Hiromitsu Kikuchi.

“I think he has passed beyond the hometown and is more like world class. We have never had a star player like this before from our hometown.”

Among the mostly older fans were about 20 children from the kindergarten that Ohtani attended. They came equipped with small flags emblazoned with Ohtani’s smiling face.

Kindergarteners holding a picture of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers

Young children hold pictures of Shohei Ohtani while watching the World Series. (AP: Eugene Hoshiko)

Several fans said they were worried Ohtani might not play but set out from home when they got the good news.

“I came to see Ohtani because the television news reported that he would play,” said Tadashi Onodera. “It’s fantastic. We are proud to have such a player from our hometown.”

This is the town where Ohtani played as a child, starred as a pitcher and hitter at Hanamaki Higashi High School, and became the favourite son of Iwate Prefecture, a mountainous region abutting the Pacific Ocean.

His hometown is located about 500 kilometres north of Tokyo, a largely rural place far from the capital.

All eyes at the viewing were on the Dodgers superstar — and his left shoulder. His injury briefly cast a pall and flipped Japan’s mood from magic to morose.

Then came relief. The magic returned as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts started Ohtani as the designated hitter and leadoff hitter in game three, what local fans and all of baseball wanted to see.

“I was concerned [about the injury] but believed it would be OK,” said Masatoshi Honmyo, another local fan. 

“I would say he is a hero.”

AP



Source

Latest

L.A. County 18-year-old pleads guilty to national ‘swatting’ wave

A Lancaster 18-year-old pleaded guilty Wednesday to...

Swelling sends QB J.J. McCarthy into second knee surgery

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings...

In Search Of Diverse Founders of Legal Tech Startups – Please Pass the Word

I am in search of diverse founders of...
spot_img

Don't miss

L.A. County 18-year-old pleads guilty to national ‘swatting’ wave

A Lancaster 18-year-old pleaded guilty Wednesday to...

Swelling sends QB J.J. McCarthy into second knee surgery

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings...

In Search Of Diverse Founders of Legal Tech Startups – Please Pass the Word

I am in search of diverse founders of...

Albany moves forward with eviction protection program

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Albany County voted down...
payday loans online

L.A. County 18-year-old pleads guilty to national ‘swatting’ wave

A Lancaster 18-year-old pleaded guilty Wednesday to phoning in hundreds of false threats of imminent bombings, mass shootings and violence targeting locations...

Swelling sends QB J.J. McCarthy into second knee surgery

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. (11) touchdown against the Las...

The Volkswagen Golf GTE is a GTI with a conscience… and made for those want dip a toe into the electric world

ARE we just accepting that everything is going up in price?Electric. Gas. Cars. Car insurance. Food. Even a Terry’s Chocolate Orange costs £2...

java burn weight loss with coffee

This will close in 12 seconds