The World Baseball Classic is long over but the ripple effect of Japan’s dominance is still felt. Challenging the 2013 Dominican Republic team for an undefeated crown, the East Asian country grabbed a third WBC title this year. The undoubted star of the tournament was of course two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani. But a lesser-known MLB player, who wasn’t even born in Japan, won the country’s hearts with his global debut.
The beloved “Tachan” was central to Nippon’s streak of victories, although he started off rather slow in the majors. His play suited up in St. Louis Cardinals’ red was nothing compared to how his reputation skyrocketed with ‘Japan’ written on his jersey. Seven months later, the MLB player is back in the Land of the Rising Sun.
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MLB Fans Pepper Love on Lars Nootbaar’s Tokyo Dome Reenaction
The Cardinals’ season may have ended in September but Lars Taylor Tatsuji Nootbaar’s legend spreads far and wide. MLB’s café in the Fukuoka Prefecture hosted the slugger this past weekend, where he reprised his superstar role. As pictures posted by MLB Japan on Instagram showed, Nootbaar was full of grins and reenacted a famous pose that he introduced to Japan’s baseball lovers earlier this year.
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When his fellow players ground out some runs, the slugger would make a grinding motion with his hands. It was his first international tourney of this scale but he was an instant fan favorite. Deafening cheers of “Noot! Noot! Noot!” overtook the Tokyo Dome during Japan’s first round of games. Nootbaar already had all eyes on him by being the first ballplayer born outside of Japan to play for the country. But the pepper grinder motion cemented his celebrity status.
He even taught the move to fellow slugger and friend Shohei Ohtani, with their camaraderie a big topic of discussion among fans. The two-way sensation gave Nootbaar a pricey token gift earlier this year but unfortunately, the regular season impeded their budding friendship. Missouri is a long way from California and the baseball’s unicorn was more focused on getting in his sleep.
Nevertheless, baseball fans from across the two countries found the incident hilarious, and watching Tachan in Fukuoka was a rare treat!
A Night of Surprises in Fukuoka
Nootbaar has been busy this offseason, visiting his mother’s home country. It’s been a delight for fans following the Sakura Saga closely, whose comments on MLB Japan’s post were peppered with love for the slugger. Let’s take a look at what they had to say about Nootbaar’s grinding grandeur.
One welcomed him wholeheartedly to the Land of Cherry Blossoms, “@lars_nootbaar11 Welcome to Japan😺💞🇯🇵❤We look forward to seeing you soon!!”
Some wanted to know if the capital was hosting Nootbaar anytime soon. “Any Tokyo event? I am a Missourian and lifelong Cardinals fan! Heck, I might even go to the airport to see him off if I knew the time and place!”
“Come to Tokyo, too, bro! 🎉”.
The sentiment was shared by others. “I wish I were there! My grandparents live really close!”.
Another fan found themselves swooning over Nootbaar’s smile, “I love seeing that Tacchan smile ❤️”
“Love your smile, Nooooot. I wish also had been there”
Lars Nootbaar’s journey, from virtual cheers to a global sensation, has been one to watch adorably unfold. He serves as a reminder that greatness can be discovered in unexpected places, defying language, borders, and culture.
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Arunima Bhanot