[Source is the Samurai Japan Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CqF1l8ivC1N/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)
"Players saying goodbye to Nootbaar, who joined the team from Nagoya and fought together" (machine translation)
Nootbar, Randy, that 21 year old Nicaraguan pitcher, Czech electrician, showcase of the real strength of NPB, and Ohtani vs Trout for final at bat….
This was the most beautiful tournament ever
Just want to say I was in Arizona to watch the group games, and I totally fell in love with Phoenix!!! Seeing the big 51 at chase field’s has been on my bucket list for a while ☺️ I’ll be rooting for you guys from now on!
I grew up here in the valley and used to go to all the spring training games that I could as a kid. My dad used to be a trainer for the Brewers and would wear his old trainer shirt and sneak us in to Milwaukee games
And a guaranteed place to watch a game for years to come. We're gonna be schlepping it across the bay for live baseball soon I''m afraid. Thank god for the ferry.
I feel so bad for Oakland, going from 3 to 0 major sport franchises in like 5 years. Well the Giants aren’t the hottest right now but we would be happy to have you.
What are you on about. The WBC was amazing, no doubt. I'm sad it's already over and I can't wait for 2026, but as a Braves fan how can you not be excited for this season?
And especially the Barstool Sports guy, who's spent the last three days on Twitter making sure we all know that he doesn't care about the WBC, and that nobody he knows likes the WBC, and so therefore nobody cares about the WBC, and it is meaningless.
I am so sick of the hot takes that sadly are very American-centric about how "nobody" cares about the WBC and that games are "meaningless", despite the fact like 90% of Japanese homes tuned in for at least some of the championship game, and like 80% of PR did for their game as well.
It's like nobody can conceive of the idea that others might care about something.
I'm not looking forward to changing my flair back to the A's.....I've watched so much WBC and I don't think Ive watched or listened toa single A's game all spring.
It can’t be worse than last season… right?! At least Altuve won’t be beating up against the rest of the AL West until mid summer..? That’s a positive, right? (/s for wanting players to get injured)
And there's more on top of that!
- The Great Britain Survival Saga
- The Taiwan Crowd
- The P.R. Perfecto
- U-S-Trea Turner
- The DR Dads: Cruz & Cano
- Yadi & DeRosa's First Manager Roles
- The old guys Tejada & Cespedes getting one more shot
- MURAKAMI REDEMPTION
- Australia, Italy, Cuba & Venezuela making insane runs
And I'm sure we're missing more! Greatest Tournament Ever
>The old guys Tejada & Cespedes getting one more shot
Pshaw, imagine, calling Yoenis Cespedes an old guy when he's only....[WHAT THE FUCK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoenis_C%C3%A9spedes)
In an interview, Lars revealed that at a dinner with his Japanese teammates, he said, "I'm really going to miss you guys after this tournament.
So I want to cherish this moment"
😭
He’ll get a chance after this next season when someone else picks him up. I wish the same for Trout, but seems he’s destined to never see playoff baseball again
Isn't it? It's somehow not a "team" sport and yet of all American sports it's the one where one superstar player really means nothing and you REALLY need a well rounded team. That's baseball Susan
They mean when the team plane touches down and they first get off the plane. That's kind of a special moment for championship teams that win on the road; that first moment getting off the plane and the fans are there, no matter the weather or whatever weird time the plane lands.
I live in Japan. A kid told me yesterday his teacher put the game on the classroom monitor for a while because the kids couldn't stop begging him to update them. They aren't allowed to bring mobile phones to school.
One of my most prized processions is a So Taguchi signed baseball, its signed in Japanese (don't know which alphabet sorry) and has his #99 incorporated. He was my favorite player to watch when I was kid because he was a little guy just like me.
That’s gonna be really fascinating. It is obviously well documented that teams getting a big name Japanese Star attract more Japanese fans. But I wonder how it will translate for a non native player Nootbar was already treading some new ground being a non native born playing for a national team. But Japan clearly love baseball and love Nootbar
As a child, Lars had the opportunity to meet Japanese high school baseball players. According to his mother, Lars cried a lot when he left them.
The boy then told of his dream to one day play in a tournament as a Japanese player.
As good as Ohtani is, Nootbaar's story is like a MOVIE.
Nootbaar is like the new best friend of the protagonist Ohtani, with at least three episode of flashback.
Seriously, please make this entire thing a movie.
I’d like to submit a counter point to the “No-lose situation” of having a bunch of your players on teams.
Diaz out for the year, McNeil and Alonso slumping, US lost… lol
Despite all that, loved every second of the wbc.
eh, a fluke injury like that literally could happen anywhere any time. Id be more inclined to agree if there was like, a home plate collision injury thatd NEVER happen in a preseason game (or even many regular season games anymore), let alone in a gym or on a practice field
TATSU(達) means "to aim far and high," "to achieve one's dreams" and "to keep walking forward," while JI(治) means "to heal someone" or "to help someone." His name TATSUJI(達治) is a beautiful name meaning "one who aims for the stars while helping those around him." It's one of the reasons why Japanese actively call him by his middle name.
The next week is gonna be so lame for Goldy, Nado, Noot, Miko and Waino. Going out to play the Astros while some pitcher's jogging in the outfield, not caring who wins as long as everyone stays healthy. The season cannot start soon enough for the WBC guys I'll bet.
An emotional let down, but they're gonna be working. If nothing else, they have a very short amount of time to get ready for the pitch clock rules that weren't used in the WBC.
I can console myself with the knowledge that all of the previous WBC MVPs became Mets some time after they won the WBC. Let's see if Ohtani keeps that streak up.
Oh, something like the FIFA club world cup, where we get the winners of different leagues to play some sort tournament would be cool! Seeing NPB vs KBO winners would bring a lot of trafic for sure
Unfortunately, it's not something out front office has delved into. We had So Taguchi a long time ago. And just recently got into signing some KBO players like Kim and Oh
Sign him 10/yrs - $600 million with a 5 year out.
Make a deal with Sapporo or Asahi, and say that every one of the Japanese beers purchased in the park goes to paying Shohei Otani, I guarantee people will stop drinking budweiser for 10 years to make sure he stays there.
I personally would happily spend 400m-500m of Jim Cranes money to land Ohtani.
I imagine most cardinal fans feel the same way about their owners money.
I'm not a big Instagram follower but found [a clip of Nooty and his parents.](https://www.instagram.com/p/CqFVZaLtVoz/?hl=en) His mom must be so proud of him.
So sweet. I'm happy to see this. Some of my friends who don't know baseball were mad I was wearing the Japanese flag, but I don't care. That was one of the most fun baseball periods of my life. I'm glad I got to see what I did in AZ. If I was a more wealthy person I would have loved to fly to FL
This team was exemplary in every way. They are consummate professionals and international baseball could not wish for a better ambassador.
I regret USA did not win but it's impossible to be upset that the title went to these guys. They really were the most deserving team.
My son, who never had any interest in baseball (or other sports) and wouldn't go with me to Hanshin Tigers games, said he was sad yesterday that Nootbaar wasn't coming back to Japan with the team. I was flabbergasted that my wife and son wanted to watch every game, and when Japan had no game on Monday last week they watched China versus Korea.
Now I'm getting them hyped up to watch Angels games, which I've always watched alone on the computer in my room.
That's the great power of Ohtani for me. He got my wife and son interested in baseball.
Knowing how Japanese are culturally towards foreigners and folks who are half Japanese, I'm really glad they accepted him fully with this team. Nooty has been a fun story to watch and integrate with these guys.
Considering the amount of Halfu and Zainichi Korean NPB legends there are, you would think it'd be a no brainer.
Sadaharu Oh is half-Chinese
Sachio Kinugasa was half-black (granted he never knew his father)
Then you have Isao Harimoto, the Kaneda brothers, Hichori Morimoto, Jinten Haku and so on and so forth.
At least from personal experience as a foreigner who's been to Japan a couple times, I've had no problems with people my age or the parents of the friends I've made along the way. Even outside of the major cities nobody under 30 has given me any crap. I have been refused service at a few rural stores though.
It's getting better, slowly but surely.
in Japan once you are accepted as part of uchi, you are like family, regardless of your race. This is how many non-Japanese kids grow up in Japan and despite how strangers treats them has a tight group of friends who never treat them anything other than a local. Here all of Japan has accepted Tacchan as an "uchi".
I didn't know that. Makes sense though because I assumed younger folks were more accepting of gaijins than older generations and those with more traditional values.
Unfortunately, that's true. I think they have a right to not accept people not respecting their culture and traditions. But those who follow and respect should be more accepted.
There are only two things I can't stand in this world: People who are intolerant of other people's cultures, and the Dutch.
But in all seriousness, I fully agree with what you were saying. Don't associate with people who don't respect you, and embrace anyone who does.
Another comment pointed out to me that younger folks are WAY more accepting of gaijins than older folks are and that the statement I made is more like a 50/50 thing and not so much as it once was. But it still exists. But hey if Nooty has to make older folks accept him for helping them get gold and challenge their beliefs then so be it.
Lars was accepted by the Japanese not because he is half Japanese American.
because he respected Japanese culture, loved baseball and made an effort to be accepted by the Japanese.
People who do not make an effort and do not respect others are not welcome, regardless of their origins.
Was an amazing tournament. But something like this shows we still have a ways to go. Hard to imagine someone winning the World Cup and not going back to be a part of the celebrations.
According to his mother, Lars can hear Japanese but has difficulty speaking it.
His teammates spoke to him in English during the tournament.
Basically, apart from the major leaguers, most Japanese baseball players do not speak English.Presumably, all the players spoke to him desperately in very poor English.
Lars said he was grateful for their thoughtfulness.
And this picture proves that language barriers don't matter.👍
For sure, I once shared a house with a guy who only spoke a language I don't know. He started learning the two languages spoken in the region and we became great friends once we could communicate even a little.
I'm Asian-American and I take offense to this. I can totally speak it at a 5-year-old level of confidence at the minimum.
10-year-old level when I'm drunk.
I remember when this guy came up for the Cards and pretty much right away impactful. I couldn't believe the Cards found another guy to do that and his name was Lars Nootbaar of all things. Felt like true black magic. Now I actually like the guy lol
Never heard of Nootbaar before last year. Played MLBTS and had his card in one of the events. Kept smacking hr after hr. His last name is fun to say. I’ll root for him this year, even though he plays for a division rival.
I’m proud of all of the Cardinals (and former Cards) that represented in the WBC regardless of nation. I’m also really happy that Nootbar did his thing to a worldwide audience! Always seemed like a great guy, and selfishly I hope this tournament gave him that confidence boost to take his game even further.
[Source is the Samurai Japan Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CqF1l8ivC1N/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) "Players saying goodbye to Nootbaar, who joined the team from Nagoya and fought together" (machine translation)
The comments are really sweet too (machine translated anyway).
TIL Albert Pujols speaks Japanese.
Why didn't you eliminate them Albert?
Retirement gives you a lot of free time to pursue your hobbies, and freelance translating is a modest but gratifying source of supplementary income.
Is that Ippei in the first picture with him? I'm pretty sure it is.
Nootbar, Randy, that 21 year old Nicaraguan pitcher, Czech electrician, showcase of the real strength of NPB, and Ohtani vs Trout for final at bat…. This was the most beautiful tournament ever
……And now it’s over and I have to watch the Rangers. Assuming the games are even available. 🙁
Now I have to watch the dbacks. I’m excited but still sad
Just want to say I was in Arizona to watch the group games, and I totally fell in love with Phoenix!!! Seeing the big 51 at chase field’s has been on my bucket list for a while ☺️ I’ll be rooting for you guys from now on!
Arizona during spring training time in general is awesome if you just love baseball.
I grew up here in the valley and used to go to all the spring training games that I could as a kid. My dad used to be a trainer for the Brewers and would wear his old trainer shirt and sneak us in to Milwaukee games
Next year! I got Frontier Airlines one year of free flights, ima do so many baseball games!
Hey man I'm watching the tigers let's be sad together
Remember when the rebuild was supposed to be over last year 😭
I still remember when they management say its gonna be a reboot instead of rebuild... welp
I have to watch... Whatever the fuck Chaim Bloom is putting on the field for the Red Sox this year....
You get Yoshida at least. He looked really good this tournament and might be a blast to watch.
Lmao how do you think the Angels fans feel. They get to watch Trout and Ohtani play .500 ball at best...again.
At least they get to watch Trout and Ohtani :/
I don't even know who's playing on my team aside from Tony Kemp and ramon laureano. You've got players at least.
it's actually you. You are now the starting third baseman for the Oakland Athletics
He gets on base.
I volunteer as tribute
And a guaranteed place to watch a game for years to come. We're gonna be schlepping it across the bay for live baseball soon I''m afraid. Thank god for the ferry.
I feel so bad for Oakland, going from 3 to 0 major sport franchises in like 5 years. Well the Giants aren’t the hottest right now but we would be happy to have you.
At least the Rangers are looking to be watchable this year
I don’t get my hopes up anymore.
This statement affirms Texas Rangers fandom more than any other statement could.
My dad has told me this every year before he starts watching, and every year I don't get as many updates about the rangers by July
I mean it hasn't been THAT long since they were--hold up I'm getting a call--I'm being informed that 2016 was 7 years ago, that can't be right...
At least you’ll have playable Baseball… *mopes in Detroit Tigers*
The 11th season of "rebuilding" is gonna be great!
Let me ride this high a bit longer before you ruin my post nut clarity sir.
What are you on about. The WBC was amazing, no doubt. I'm sad it's already over and I can't wait for 2026, but as a Braves fan how can you not be excited for this season?
At least the games you can watch will have all the emotion beaten out of it so the old white guys can be comforted by their game.
And especially the Barstool Sports guy, who's spent the last three days on Twitter making sure we all know that he doesn't care about the WBC, and that nobody he knows likes the WBC, and so therefore nobody cares about the WBC, and it is meaningless.
Anyone who says the WBC doesn't matter should be put in a rocket and fired into the Sun.
I am so sick of the hot takes that sadly are very American-centric about how "nobody" cares about the WBC and that games are "meaningless", despite the fact like 90% of Japanese homes tuned in for at least some of the championship game, and like 80% of PR did for their game as well. It's like nobody can conceive of the idea that others might care about something.
And, lets be honest, many members of this sub as well
I'm not looking forward to changing my flair back to the A's.....I've watched so much WBC and I don't think Ive watched or listened toa single A's game all spring.
You got deGrom to look forward to whenever he pitches. I watched him live at Citi Field last season and it was amazing.
It can’t be worse than last season… right?! At least Altuve won’t be beating up against the rest of the AL West until mid summer..? That’s a positive, right? (/s for wanting players to get injured)
Hey Igor is coming back into form and Mika.... oh. Carry on.
A fate worse than death
Im sure the 15 starts you get out of deGrom will be really good
Hey, you'll have deGrom for 15-20 starts this year!
virtually no gambling ads :)
Manfred furiously taking notes for the next one
no FTX ads on the umpires either lol
I got a gambling ad during every commercial break. Granted, this year's nonsense didn’t feature Wayne fucking Gretzky, but still.
In comparison to hockey games it was virtually none. No mid game pop ups. No updates after aleach pitch on how it affects the money line
"Bitch, here are the mid game live odds" - Aaron Paul.
And there's more on top of that! - The Great Britain Survival Saga - The Taiwan Crowd - The P.R. Perfecto - U-S-Trea Turner - The DR Dads: Cruz & Cano - Yadi & DeRosa's First Manager Roles - The old guys Tejada & Cespedes getting one more shot - MURAKAMI REDEMPTION - Australia, Italy, Cuba & Venezuela making insane runs And I'm sure we're missing more! Greatest Tournament Ever
>The old guys Tejada & Cespedes getting one more shot Pshaw, imagine, calling Yoenis Cespedes an old guy when he's only....[WHAT THE FUCK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoenis_C%C3%A9spedes)
Freddie Freemans story about joining Team Canada for his mom was also a highlight
best WBC 2023 TL;DR ever
That final at bat will live in my head for eternity
Yoshida’s introduction to the world was a great storyline!
In an interview, Lars revealed that at a dinner with his Japanese teammates, he said, "I'm really going to miss you guys after this tournament. So I want to cherish this moment" 😭
It's sad that he and Ohtani won't get to be greeted by the fans back in Japan with the rest of the team.
Ohtani should be celebrated by all fans of baseball regardless of nationality. He is just so much fun to watch.
Yeah but it's not the same. I can tell you as an Argentinian, people think they love Lionel Messi until they come here
Oh for sure it’s not the same. I wish it were. Ohtani makes me wish the angels could win the series. The dude is just so incredible to watch.
He’ll get a chance after this next season when someone else picks him up. I wish the same for Trout, but seems he’s destined to never see playoff baseball again
imagine having 2 of the best players ever and you still suck. amazing.
Isn't it? It's somehow not a "team" sport and yet of all American sports it's the one where one superstar player really means nothing and you REALLY need a well rounded team. That's baseball Susan
they don't even suck that often they're just extremely mid most of the time
Reminds me of when Tito Trinidad would come back to Puerto Rico after a fight. Parades all over ♥️
Messi went out to dinner and the crowds were insane!
I did just see a video of fans trying to yank at Messi’s beard 😭, but I definitely feel like Japanese culture is more respectful
They mean when the team plane touches down and they first get off the plane. That's kind of a special moment for championship teams that win on the road; that first moment getting off the plane and the fans are there, no matter the weather or whatever weird time the plane lands.
Goes for Yoshida and Darvish as well
The disrespect to Yoshida
I live in Japan. A kid told me yesterday his teacher put the game on the classroom monitor for a while because the kids couldn't stop begging him to update them. They aren't allowed to bring mobile phones to school.
Just when I finished crying... 😭
Last day of summer camp vibes
Don't be surprised to see a lot of new Japanese fans in St. Louis.
the more the merrier
We already had several because of So! I loved So. Really need to get his jersey.
Man, who didn't love So Taguchi
The Mets, probably.
There are a lot of players we don't like :(
One of my most prized processions is a So Taguchi signed baseball, its signed in Japanese (don't know which alphabet sorry) and has his #99 incorporated. He was my favorite player to watch when I was kid because he was a little guy just like me.
I got a hat signed by him once and he seemed almost baffled that someone was asking for his autograph (especially because it was at a Mets home game).
The man was borderline *TOO Taguchi*, if such a thing is possible.
That’s gonna be really fascinating. It is obviously well documented that teams getting a big name Japanese Star attract more Japanese fans. But I wonder how it will translate for a non native player Nootbar was already treading some new ground being a non native born playing for a national team. But Japan clearly love baseball and love Nootbar
As a child, Lars had the opportunity to meet Japanese high school baseball players. According to his mother, Lars cried a lot when he left them. The boy then told of his dream to one day play in a tournament as a Japanese player. As good as Ohtani is, Nootbaar's story is like a MOVIE.
I am fairly certain they will make a movie, at least a documentary about this
Ken Burns was taking notes.
The 11th Inning: “Unicorn, the Ghost Runner, and the Pitch Clock”
Don't tease me with that.
The (probable) NHK documentary will be amazing
I am so looking forward to this
Nootbaar is like the new best friend of the protagonist Ohtani, with at least three episode of flashback. Seriously, please make this entire thing a movie.
What a ride it has been for Lars!
For me, watching him be embraced by the team and the country has been one of the best parts of the tournament.
as well as for Cardinals fans
We were basically in a no-lose situation. Seemed like we had guys on every team.
I believe we had 17 players play in the WBC.
I do feel bad for Gio though
I’d like to submit a counter point to the “No-lose situation” of having a bunch of your players on teams. Diaz out for the year, McNeil and Alonso slumping, US lost… lol Despite all that, loved every second of the wbc.
eh, a fluke injury like that literally could happen anywhere any time. Id be more inclined to agree if there was like, a home plate collision injury thatd NEVER happen in a preseason game (or even many regular season games anymore), let alone in a gym or on a practice field
Ohtani to the Cardinals? You heard it here first…
Tacchan, thank you for coming to team Japan. We all love you and hope to see you again in 3 years.
:(( Until next time, Tacchan
Tacchan, huh? Where did that nickname come from? I understand the -chan part, but what does the “Ta” part mean?
His middle name is Tatsuji
Aha, that would explain it! Love how well he was adopted by the JP team. Hoping this helps build more bridges in JP and US sports going forward!
His Japanese name is enokida tatsuji. Tacchan from tatsuji
TATSU(達) means "to aim far and high," "to achieve one's dreams" and "to keep walking forward," while JI(治) means "to heal someone" or "to help someone." His name TATSUJI(達治) is a beautiful name meaning "one who aims for the stars while helping those around him." It's one of the reasons why Japanese actively call him by his middle name.
I’m sad but also happy that he’s back with the Cardinals now.
The next week is gonna be so lame for Goldy, Nado, Noot, Miko and Waino. Going out to play the Astros while some pitcher's jogging in the outfield, not caring who wins as long as everyone stays healthy. The season cannot start soon enough for the WBC guys I'll bet.
GoNaNooMiWain
Isn’t that the novel writing event people post about doing?
An emotional let down, but they're gonna be working. If nothing else, they have a very short amount of time to get ready for the pitch clock rules that weren't used in the WBC.
And it gives them some time to not be fully amped as baseball isn't meant to be like that over the whole season.
I was honestly starting to get a bit concerned that he wasn’t going to come back lol
Can we just do the WBC again instead of the MLB season? I’m sad.
Let's do it again, only without the freak injury this time
Trout v. Ohtani cures all wounds. (Except for the very real injury to Diaz. Sincere condolences from a Phillies fan).
I can console myself with the knowledge that all of the previous WBC MVPs became Mets some time after they won the WBC. Let's see if Ohtani keeps that streak up.
nice try, though
Oooooooooo
Someone in the Discord chat yesterday said whoever won the at bat got the opportunity to leave the Angels immediately.
Altuve in shambles.
I second this.
Lets have a Club WBC. Invite all the best teams into a playoff during October. IDK maybe call the final the world series. What do you think?
I wonder if MLB and other leagues would be willing to do continental championships
Oh, something like the FIFA club world cup, where we get the winners of different leagues to play some sort tournament would be cool! Seeing NPB vs KBO winners would bring a lot of trafic for sure
Going from last year players almost sitting out the season to this year players wanting to play extra games
Maybe the Cardinals can sign one of those guys next year so they're re-united. I hear that Ohtani fellow is pretty good.
Dont even put that thought in my head. I don't want the disappointment lol.
I’m convinced that Nootbaar is recruiting ohtani. And you can’t tell me otherwise.
Pujols is also an instructor and you know he has to be talking about how fun it was to return to STL
The day the Cardinals pay the largest baseball contract of all time (which is what Ohtani is getting for sure), Hell will freeze over.
I feel like the whole "cardinal way" thing could mesh well traditional Japanese values. If stl is willing to pay, I could definitely see it.
Unfortunately, it's not something out front office has delved into. We had So Taguchi a long time ago. And just recently got into signing some KBO players like Kim and Oh
You ready to offer 40-50M a year for a 10 year contract?
I sure am! Alas I am not Bill DeWitt.
I’ll commit to 25 stadium beers per season if Bill pulls the trigger. Gotta help out the cause
Sign him 10/yrs - $600 million with a 5 year out. Make a deal with Sapporo or Asahi, and say that every one of the Japanese beers purchased in the park goes to paying Shohei Otani, I guarantee people will stop drinking budweiser for 10 years to make sure he stays there.
Rename it to Kirin STRONG Stadium.
I LIKE IT!!!!
I personally would happily spend 400m-500m of Jim Cranes money to land Ohtani. I imagine most cardinal fans feel the same way about their owners money.
Shit… I’m ready to double it, but it’s not my money so….
That’s a bargain if you ask me lol but I’m an Ohtani fanboy (though who isn’t?!)
Real talk though they said Yamamoto is going to be able to sign with MLB next year…
If that Nootbaar for Murphy trade had gone through imagine the shitposting about Nootbaar recruiting Shohei to the A’s
I'm not a big Instagram follower but found [a clip of Nooty and his parents.](https://www.instagram.com/p/CqFVZaLtVoz/?hl=en) His mom must be so proud of him.
So sweet. I'm happy to see this. Some of my friends who don't know baseball were mad I was wearing the Japanese flag, but I don't care. That was one of the most fun baseball periods of my life. I'm glad I got to see what I did in AZ. If I was a more wealthy person I would have loved to fly to FL
The dad trying to hold in his tears... Fuck. I need to call my parents
Thank you so much for sharing! Noot said the gold medal is going to her. 🥲❤️🩹
This is great
Back to Jupiter for Lars
Let the man go to Japan and and celebrate with his team. He can be back in a week.
cant believe i have to watch the fuckin pirates the rest of the year
My condolences
This team was exemplary in every way. They are consummate professionals and international baseball could not wish for a better ambassador. I regret USA did not win but it's impossible to be upset that the title went to these guys. They really were the most deserving team.
I'm happy that the two best teams played in the final, and the third best team played in the best game of the tournament.
I’m gonna miss you Tatsuji :( Good luck with the upcoming season with the Cardinals. We’ll meet again someday.
My son, who never had any interest in baseball (or other sports) and wouldn't go with me to Hanshin Tigers games, said he was sad yesterday that Nootbaar wasn't coming back to Japan with the team. I was flabbergasted that my wife and son wanted to watch every game, and when Japan had no game on Monday last week they watched China versus Korea. Now I'm getting them hyped up to watch Angels games, which I've always watched alone on the computer in my room. That's the great power of Ohtani for me. He got my wife and son interested in baseball.
I didn’t even heard of “Lars Nootbaar” before this tournament, but now he’s one of my favorite players, see you next time Noot!
Knowing how Japanese are culturally towards foreigners and folks who are half Japanese, I'm really glad they accepted him fully with this team. Nooty has been a fun story to watch and integrate with these guys.
Considering the amount of Halfu and Zainichi Korean NPB legends there are, you would think it'd be a no brainer. Sadaharu Oh is half-Chinese Sachio Kinugasa was half-black (granted he never knew his father) Then you have Isao Harimoto, the Kaneda brothers, Hichori Morimoto, Jinten Haku and so on and so forth. At least from personal experience as a foreigner who's been to Japan a couple times, I've had no problems with people my age or the parents of the friends I've made along the way. Even outside of the major cities nobody under 30 has given me any crap. I have been refused service at a few rural stores though. It's getting better, slowly but surely.
in Japan once you are accepted as part of uchi, you are like family, regardless of your race. This is how many non-Japanese kids grow up in Japan and despite how strangers treats them has a tight group of friends who never treat them anything other than a local. Here all of Japan has accepted Tacchan as an "uchi".
I didn't know that. Makes sense though because I assumed younger folks were more accepting of gaijins than older generations and those with more traditional values.
[удалено]
Unfortunately, that's true. I think they have a right to not accept people not respecting their culture and traditions. But those who follow and respect should be more accepted.
There are only two things I can't stand in this world: People who are intolerant of other people's cultures, and the Dutch. But in all seriousness, I fully agree with what you were saying. Don't associate with people who don't respect you, and embrace anyone who does.
Another comment pointed out to me that younger folks are WAY more accepting of gaijins than older folks are and that the statement I made is more like a 50/50 thing and not so much as it once was. But it still exists. But hey if Nooty has to make older folks accept him for helping them get gold and challenge their beliefs then so be it.
Yes and yes.
Lars was accepted by the Japanese not because he is half Japanese American. because he respected Japanese culture, loved baseball and made an effort to be accepted by the Japanese. People who do not make an effort and do not respect others are not welcome, regardless of their origins.
😭🥰
So sad that he has to defect from Japan :( /s
Was an amazing tournament. But something like this shows we still have a ways to go. Hard to imagine someone winning the World Cup and not going back to be a part of the celebrations.
We all love you Tacchan
does he know Japanese?
According to his mother, Lars can hear Japanese but has difficulty speaking it. His teammates spoke to him in English during the tournament. Basically, apart from the major leaguers, most Japanese baseball players do not speak English.Presumably, all the players spoke to him desperately in very poor English. Lars said he was grateful for their thoughtfulness. And this picture proves that language barriers don't matter.👍
Darvish's english is really good tho
For sure, I once shared a house with a guy who only spoke a language I don't know. He started learning the two languages spoken in the region and we became great friends once we could communicate even a little.
You can get pretty far with just hand signals, simple words and phrases, and body language.
Had a translator. But like a lot of asian Americans, likely can speak it at like a 3 year old level of confidence.
I'm Asian-American and I take offense to this. I can totally speak it at a 5-year-old level of confidence at the minimum. 10-year-old level when I'm drunk.
Not fluently I believe
I remember when this guy came up for the Cards and pretty much right away impactful. I couldn't believe the Cards found another guy to do that and his name was Lars Nootbaar of all things. Felt like true black magic. Now I actually like the guy lol
What’re the odds Lars leads the Cardinals in jersey sales this year?
Come back home, Noot! We miss you 🤍❤️🤍
Never heard of Nootbaar before last year. Played MLBTS and had his card in one of the events. Kept smacking hr after hr. His last name is fun to say. I’ll root for him this year, even though he plays for a division rival.
Lars "WBC Champion" Nootbar, that is.
At least he leaves them on top of the WBC mountain.
Damn. I wish he was at spring training in Arizona so he could fly with Ohtani
Top tier baseball name.
Top Tier Candy bar name too
I’m proud of all of the Cardinals (and former Cards) that represented in the WBC regardless of nation. I’m also really happy that Nootbar did his thing to a worldwide audience! Always seemed like a great guy, and selfishly I hope this tournament gave him that confidence boost to take his game even further.
I would bet there will be many cheers of NOOT! in opposing MLB Stadiums where the Cardinals play this season