Alex Rodriguez believes the United States and Japan have a very strong relationship through their shared love of baseball, and he indicated that Shohei Ohtani plays a big role in that.
Japan is one of the biggest non-USA countries when it comes to baseball. Every year, there are a couple of NPB (Nippon Baseball League) and KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) that come to the MLB.
Alex Rodriguez, who actually got his first New York Yankees hit in Japan for a special Opening Day there, revealed what he's come to understand about baseball, Japan, the United States, and the connection. He took to Instagram on Wednesday to share:
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"One of the interesting things about Japan is how much they love baseball. I was just there a few months ago. It's such a great partnership between Japan and the US, it's the love for baseball."
He went on to say that the Los Angeles Dodgers star's presence in the MLB is the great connector:
"And Ohtani sits right in the middle of it. I mean to think that we had 75 million people watching just last year in the Baseball Classic when Japan played the US and Ohtani struck out Mike Trout. It was one of the most memorable at-bats."
Rodriguez also added that Japan has a love for baseball that Americans can't quite relate to. He said it's like the USA's love of football, which is intense and mighty, but times 10.
Alex Rodriguez fondly recalls Japan trip and first Yankees hit
In 2004, Alex Rodriguez was playing for the New York Yankees for the first time. He was with Hideki Matsui, one of a great many Japanese exports who landed in the MLB and made a name for themselves.
Rodriguez was taking on the Tampa Bay Rays and created a memory for himself that he cherishes even now:
"We're playing the Rays in Japan, my first game. I'm facing Victor Zambrano, who's got great stuff. Throws me a good four-seamer away, I put the bat on it, hit a double, and I was psyched up. In pinstripes, but in Japan out of all places. It was a really, really cool experience. That's why I love Japan so much."
Now, with the International Series growth and Japanese superstars like Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Seiya Suzuki, and others, the connection between Japan and the United States is even stronger than it was for Rodriguez two decades ago.
