Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani celebrates after the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in New York.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani celebrates with the trophy after beating the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in New York.
13:58 JST, October 31, 2024
TOKYO (AP) — The World Series trophy goes to Los Angeles, but the celebration extends all the way to Japan.
People gathered around local train stations in Tokyo on Thursday morning as extra newspapers were ready to roll off the presses, with Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto declared world champions along with their Dodgers teammates after a thrilling Game 5 victory on the New York Yankees.
“I would like to thank my Japanese fans for coming out to cheer me on this season,” Ohtani said on Japanese television. “That cheer gave me some energy, so I’m glad I could give back the gratitude for my victory.”
The newspaper awards are a tradition in Tokyo when Japan celebrates a major event. And this is a huge challenge for a country whose players were once considered too small, or only good throwers. Now there is now a strong pride in the fact that their players are among the best in the game.
Japan defeated the United States in the finals of the World Baseball Classic in Miami last year, another sign of the country’s prowess in the American pastime.
It was also a victory for Ohtani’s hometown in northern Japan – Oshu City – where fans have gathered all week expecting their superstar hero to help clinch the title.
