Another World Sequence-related posts concerning the Dodgers and Yankees so that you can begin your Saturday morning.
Regardless of monumental expectations, Shohei Ohtani retains on going with an “unflappable cool,” writes Chelsea Janes at The Washington Put up.
These World Sequence video games in Japan are on within the early morning, which makes for a breakfast and baseball mixture. Additionally a reverence for Ohtani. From Rustin Dodd at The Athletic:
“Within the international market, Japanese worth and energy is (changing into) a bit of bit weaker, 12 months by 12 months,” mentioned Tomoki Negishi, a baseball advertising and marketing government who labored for Japan’s Pacific League. “So Ohtani-san’s nice efficiency is a beacon.”
To some, he says, Ohtani is “an emblem of Japan within the international market.”
To others?
“He’s only a loopy superhero that I’ve by no means seen earlier than,” Negishi says.
Ohtani’s international recognition has spawned a change from how Main League Baseball markets itself, as commissioner Rob Manfred defined to Evan Drellich at The Athletic:
“Whenever you hear one thing sufficient, I believe it takes a sure stage of vanity to disregard it, and it actually was one thing that was being mentioned,” Manfred mentioned. “Because of this, I paid consideration to it. It’s a query of focus. The golf equipment regionally did a whole lot of advertising and marketing, and we relied on that native advertising and marketing. I believe what I’m speaking about right here is a wholly completely different focus.”
Walker Buehler talked about making an attempt to complete off hitters after getting two strikes, amongst many different issues, with Michael Rosen at FanGraphs.
Noah Goldberg of the Los Angeles Instances had a fantastic concept for a narrative, discovering Dodgers followers with with the identical names as present Yankees.
Carlos Torres was the house plate umpire for Recreation 1 of the World Sequence on Friday night time. Two years in the past he was the primary Venzuelan umpire to work a World Sequence sport, and Clinton Yates wrote about him again then for Andscape.
Right here is Tom Verducci’s narrated video tribute to Fernando Valenzuela that was televised by Fox and proven inside Dodger Stadium on Friday night time.
In his obituary of Valenzuela, Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs argues that Valenzuela deserves the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award within the Corridor of Fame:
Few figures in baseball historical past have checked these packing containers within the method of Valenzuela. With typical humility, he dodged the tag of “hero,” however past his appreciable on-field accomplishments, his influence in increasing baseball’s attain, and in serving as “a beacon of hope, inspiration and pleasure” for Mexicans, Mexican Individuals, and different Latinos, is plain.
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