OT: Ohtani strikes out Trout to win the WBC as Japan beats USA 3-2, awarded WBC MVP

Dr Aki · Post #1 » by **Dr Aki** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:11 am

Watch on YouTube

The only thing that could've been more of a Hollywood ending was if the bases were also loaded

BodieB · Post #2 » by **BodieB** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:21 am

Sadly, Ohtani is again banished to another 95 game losing season after this.

Dr Aki · Post #3 » by **Dr Aki** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:24 am

BodieB wrote:Sadly, Ohtani is again banished to another 95 game losing season after this.

That first month and a half was magical

Tor_Raps · Post #4 » by **Tor_Raps** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:27 am

That was friggin awesome. I had 0 interest in this tournament before it started but started getting sucked in more and more as it went. Great stuff for baseball!

jokeboy86 · Post #5 » by **jokeboy86** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:29 am

For chrissakes I hope the Angels finally become good. To have the two best players in baseball as a foundation and you cant make even the expanded playoffs is insane

azcatz11 · Post #6 » by **azcatz11** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:36 am

I think Ohtani will sign a $600m contract after this year. Possibly more.

Tacoma · Post #7 » by **Tacoma** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:43 am

jokeboy86 wrote:For chrissakes I hope the Angels finally become good. To have the two best players in baseball as a foundation and you cant make even the expanded playoffs is insane

Unlike basketball where a superstar plays most of the game in every game, in baseball your star player still only comes up to bat once every 9 times and you star pitcher plays in only in 1 game out of 5. That’s a huge difference.

azcatz11 · Post #8 » by **azcatz11** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:45 am

Tacoma wrote:
jokeboy86 wrote:For chrissakes I hope the Angels finally become good. To have the two best players in baseball as a foundation and you cant make even the expanded playoffs is insane

Unlike basketball where a superstar can make a huge difference playing most of the game, in baseball your star player still only comes up to bat once every 9 times and you star pitcher is only in 1 game out of 5.

He’s right though. As foundational pieces to not make the POs is a travesty. Seems like 20 years ago when they won it all and they’ve been trash ever since.

Tor_Raps · Post #9 » by **Tor_Raps** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:46 am

azcatz11 wrote:I think Ohtani will sign a $600m contract after this year. Possibly more.

Makes sense... he'd get 300M for his hitting and pitching separately.

Although I could never invest that much into 1 person. One injury and your team is screwed lol.

ImSlower · Post #10 » by **ImSlower** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:48 am

Absolutely thrilling three weeks of baseball - and in March! Some absolutely electric games. Crowds were bonkers even in the Group stage. Japan just won two unforgettable games in two nights.

I love the one-game format for this; although the Majors kind of need a long series to really show who's champion, this one-off format made each inning feel like it was a Game 7.

Shohei's going to make half a billion dollars next year. That's just amazing.

Kurtz · Post #11 » by **Kurtz** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:49 am

That was just an epic sports moment.

SalmonsSuperfan · Post #12 » by **SalmonsSuperfan** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:49 am

great ending to a great tournament. japan was a powerhouse, their starting 5 (pitchers) would be by far the best in the mlb.

Lalouie · Post #13 » by **Lalouie** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:52 am

wow. that was damned exciting,,,and tense

Optms · Post #14 » by **Optms** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:57 am

US in shambleland tonight

Ohtani >>>>>>>>>> Judge

azcatz11 · Post #15 » by **azcatz11** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:57 am

Tor_Raps wrote:
azcatz11 wrote:I think Ohtani will sign a $600m contract after this year. Possibly more.

Makes sense... he'd get 300M for his hitting and pitching separately.

Although I could never invest that much into 1 person. One injury and your team is screwed lol.

His game is obviously going to age very well and he’s not marketed correctly in Anaheim. It’s a travesty he’s not a top 3 popular athlete right now in the United States. He should be on every billboard in every major city and be up there with Lebron imo

Tor_Raps · Post #16 » by **Tor_Raps** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:01 am

azcatz11 wrote:
Tor_Raps wrote:
azcatz11 wrote:I think Ohtani will sign a $600m contract after this year. Possibly more.

Makes sense... he'd get 300M for his hitting and pitching separately.

Although I could never invest that much into 1 person. One injury and your team is screwed lol.

His game is obviously going to age very well and he’s not marketed correctly in Anaheim. It’s a travesty he’s not a top 3 popular athlete right now in the United States. He should be on every billboard in every major city and be up there with Lebron imo

Him not being able to speak English obviously hinders him a bit but I totally agree. This is a baseball issue.

Trout has been the best player in baseball for a decade and most wouldn't even be able to recognize him walking down the street.

azcatz11 · Post #17 » by **azcatz11** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:04 am

Tor_Raps wrote:
azcatz11 wrote:
Tor_Raps wrote:
Makes sense... he'd get 300M for his hitting and pitching separately.

Although I could never invest that much into 1 person. One injury and your team is screwed lol.

His game is obviously going to age very well and he’s not marketed correctly in Anaheim. It’s a travesty he’s not a top 3 popular athlete right now in the United States. He should be on every billboard in every major city and be up there with Lebron imo

Him not being able to speak English obviously hinders him a bit but I totally agree. This is a baseball issue.

Trout has been the best player in baseball for a decade and most wouldn't even be able to recognize him walking down the street.

Yep they don’t know how to market stars. I think a major part of it is still the fact there are unwritten rules and players can’t be individuals however that’s slowly changing.

jehosafats · Post #18 » by **jehosafats** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:08 am

Yeah, I saw that wild one right before the final slider iced him. Big win for Japan. Incredibly, Babe Ruth introduced baseball to Japan on his barnstorming tour in the 1930s. Ohtani has an old school, non-specialist game, similar to the Babe. He can hit and deal on the mound with the best of them.

Tor_Raps · Post #19 » by **Tor_Raps** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:08 am

azcatz11 wrote:
Tor_Raps wrote:
azcatz11 wrote:
His game is obviously going to age very well and he’s not marketed correctly in Anaheim. It’s a travesty he’s not a top 3 popular athlete right now in the United States. He should be on every billboard in every major city and be up there with Lebron imo

Him not being able to speak English obviously hinders him a bit but I totally agree. This is a baseball issue.

Trout has been the best player in baseball for a decade and most wouldn't even be able to recognize him walking down the street.

Yep they don’t know how to market stars. I think a major part of it is still the fact there are unwritten rules and players can’t be individuals however that’s slowly changing.

Yup, it took Jose Bautista to bat flip and take all that criticism from boomers before it got accepted by the masses.

Hockey has the same issue where no one gives a crap about their stars because it's against "the code" to try to market yourself. It's seen as putting yourself ahead of the team, which is a stupid notion that needs to die.

andyhop · Post #20 » by **andyhop** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:08 am

azcatz11 wrote:
Tor_Raps wrote:
azcatz11 wrote:
His game is obviously going to age very well and he’s not marketed correctly in Anaheim. It’s a travesty he’s not a top 3 popular athlete right now in the United States. He should be on every billboard in every major city and be up there with Lebron imo

Him not being able to speak English obviously hinders him a bit but I totally agree. This is a baseball issue.

Trout has been the best player in baseball for a decade and most wouldn't even be able to recognize him walking down the street.

Yep they don’t know how to market stars. I think a major part of it is still the fact there are unwritten rules and players can’t be individuals however that’s slowly changing.

Its down to baseball's audience being too old to attract marketing dollars, unless it can reduce the average age of fans it doesn't matter what players do they won't be valuable pitch men