St. Louis Cardinals star Lars Nootbaar was recently seen on MLB Japan’s talk show, interacting with fans. He was asked by a fan who his choice would be if he could be any baseball player for twenty-four hours. Nootbaar answered the question, revealing his ardent desire that involved his close friend and fellow slugger, Shohei Ohtani.

The duo recently headlined the news, because of Ohtani’s timeless gift for Nootbaar, a token of their initial stages of friendship. What Nootbaar revealed on the talk show further reflected his respect for the fellow slugger. What did ‘Tachan’ say about ‘The Unicorn’ that made the fans admire him more than ever before?

Lars Nootbaar and his Ohtani-shaped wish

The Cardinals outfielder said that he wishes to achieve greatness like his Japanese WBC teammate. “I think I will love to be able to know what it’s like to throw a 100 miles an hour that hit the ball 500 feet, be the best player,” Nootbaar revealed, praising Shohei Ohtani and his masterful form on the field. He went on to say, “I stopped being that, but now he’s a superhero doing the major leagues, so that’s my plan.” Don’t worry, Tachan! You’re not very far behind yourself!

Shohei Ohtani took his 150 homer in the Angels vs. Royals match in June. The hit mentioned by Nootbaar occurred just a month later, when he took the 107-mph hit against Campbell, scoring his second 40 homer with solo shots of this season. Nootbaar, on the other hand, drew attention to his offensive prowess by gaining a .282 BA this year.

A meal that sparked a friendship

The sluggers’ friendship started blooming during the Word Baseball Classic, leading them to deliver 17 hits together, along with 12 RBIs. Apparently, Ohtani was a long-time favorite of Nootbaar’s mom before the two even met. The dynamic duo hit it off when Nootbaar asked Ohtani to go out for a meal. Well, the fans sure are grateful for that, because it gave them the Tachan-Unicorn pair to root for.

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Nootbaar and Ohtani’s friendship reflects the power of a shared passion for a sport. Their respect for each other continues to strengthen the foundation of their friendship. We can’t wait to watch them wreak havoc together on the diamond again!

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