This is the Shohei Ohtani effect.
Ohtani hit a grand slam in the second inning on Friday at the World Baseball Classic, pushing Japan to a quick 4-0 lead over Taiwan. He also doubled in his first at-bat in the first inning.
Shohei Ohtani hits GRAND SLAM for Japan against Chinese Taipei ⚾️
That was the early game action.
He also put on a giant show in batting practice hours before the game even started, thrilling many who had traveled from afar to see him.
Lia Chan and her husband How and other family members flew in from Singapore — about a seven-hour flight to Tokyo — just to watch Ohtani play in the World Baseball Classic.
“And baseball is not even popular in Singapore,” said Lia, who was seated a few rows behind home plate. “We know about baseball, we watch it, but when Ohtani came along it’s just gone out of proportions.”
Lia, her husband and other Singaporeans in their group were among some 40,000 in the stadium oohing-and-aahing on Friday, and this was only for batting practice hours before the second Pool C game.
Ohtani knows about drama.
He kept the crowd waiting for perhaps 30 minutes as other Japanese players practiced and hundreds of reporters with cameras, phones and tripods milled around in a penned-off area on the field.
Finally, Ohtani emerged from the dugout and waited his turn around the batting cage, hugged a few players, made small talk, and greeted some fans in an area for sponsors.
Fans in the stands stood to get a better look. But they were asked to sit down by attendants holding signs in Japanese and English that read: “Please watch from your seats.”
Ohtani took about 25 swings, hit about 10 balls out of the park and another few against the outfield wall.
When batting practice ended, he jogged out to thank the batting practice pitcher, bowed slightly, and gathered a few loose balls and tossed them into the hopper. Then with a bat in each hand, he trotted off the field to prepare for the game against Taiwan.
“Who does things like that?” Lia said. “He’s in another league.”
