Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani hit a home run and spread Japanese culture.
On the 10th (Korean time), Ohtani appeared as the designated hitter in the 2023 major league game against the Toronto Blue Jays held at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, USA, and played an active role with 2 hits, 2 RBIs and 3 points including a home run. The team lost 11-12 after 10 overtime matches.
Ohtani hit a slider from Toronto starter Yusei Kikuchi in the 3rd inning with a 3-0 lead, and hit a two-run four in the middle of the month. Ohtani, who attacked Kikuchi, a high school senior he met again since August of last year, hit his third home run of the season.
After hitting a home run and stepping on a home play around the ground, Ohtani received something covered by his colleague Brett Phillips in front of the dugout. It is the traditional helmet of Japanese samurai, ‘kabuto’. Ohtani puts on a kabuto and high-fives her teammates in the dugout. 메이저놀이터
According to local media, this Kabuto is a team ceremony that the Angels club first proposed to Ohtani with the idea of a team bus quality control coach ahead of the season, and Ohtani also agreed. Otani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, inquired about it in Japan and made it in a workshop in Kagoshima. The price is known to reach 330,000 yen (about 3.3 million won).
Mike Trout, who hit a home run against Toronto on the 8th, used it at the ceremony for the first time. In the game on the 10th, not only Ohtani but also Hunter Renfro, Logan Ohope, and Brandon Drury hit home runs, and several players used the kabuto.
The fact that the Angels’ team ceremony this year is ‘Japanese style’ means a lot to the club. It is said that Ohtani occupies a large portion of the team to the extent that Japanese traditional culture has become a team ceremony. Ohtani is playing the role of a “Japanese culture evangelist” in the United States while playing baseball.