Japan fans ecstatic as Ohtani becomes World Series winner

It was a great win.

He is a legend, high hopes he can make more new records!!

What he does in humanly impossible. He's not from Japan. He's from a different planet, living in Japan. His superhero outfit is a Los Angles Dodger uniform. I've followed baseball all of my life and studied it from its beginning as well. No one. . .no one. . .no one is better than Shohei Ohtani. It's hard to imagine anyone ever doing what he does as well as he does it. It's a good time to be alive. "I saw Ohtani do. . ." Japan, the US, and wherever baseball is enjoyed should be utterly a fan of his. He doesn't just play well as a Japanese player--he plays as well as the man of steel.

Well done Ohtani - and his Dodgers teammates - on winning the World Series! It was not even a contest in the end. Dodgers in a totally different class to Yankees.

The Dodgers sure are massively popular in Japan!

He's from a different planet, living in Japan

Actually, he lives in LA, not Japan. But, yes - Ohtani is a legend with the perfect life.

While I'm glad for the Dodgers and think Ohtani is a great ball player, let's get a few things straight. One, the Dodgers were not some last place team last year. The are a solid team and a constant playoff contender that just won the World Series a few seasons ago. They were expected to contend before he even signed with them. Two, he did nothing in the World Series. Three, this is not some underdog story. They were the betting favorites since the preseason. Four, his teammates include 3 former MVPs (Kershaw, Betts, Freeman) and to Hall of Fame locks (Kershaw and Freeman) and Betts is a probably Hall of Famer. Chances are they would have won the series without him on the team. Five, the basically did win the series without him. See two.

Watching a bunch of millionaires hit a a ball and calling them heros. Gotta love it.

Freddie Freeman did everything...

Maybe Ideguchi should have tried a few at bats

and let’s not forget the sweetness of a Yankees loss. Just saying

Fans celebrated wildly in Tokyo Thursday as baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani made their "dreams and hopes come true" by becoming a World Series winner.

A decent, pacific and civilized celebration...

Not like happened in LA..

A decent, pacific and civilized celebration...

Not like happened in LA..

Looting, bus set on fire, fights and illegal fireworks thrown at cars. Par for the course for that loser, fairweather fan base.

Chances are they would have won the series without him on the team. Five, the basically did win the series without him. See two.

True they were already contenders without him, but their injuries meant they weren't necessarily favorites to win it all, and might not have gotten to the World Series without his bat. He wasn't the best player in any of the playoff series, but he was clutch until the World Series. I think the addition of Yamamoto was more crucial in the postseason, though.

Ohtani had arguably the best regular season ever. Too bad he was not able to play the last games of the Series, though he was instrumental in the Dodgers making it through the playoffs to get to the final matches. Hats off to him, Yamamoto-san, Freddie, Mookie, Roberts etal. The best team won this season, and should be set to repeat. Here's hoping Ohtani fully recovers from his dislocation, and can stay healthy throughout next eson, he is so important to the game of baseball.

His and the team's choice, but I would like to see him hit and not pitch, better chance to stay healthy that way, and also perhaps set more hitting records.

True they were already contenders without him, but their injuries meant they weren't necessarily favorites to win it all, and might not have gotten to the World Series without his bat. He wasn't the best player in any of the playoff series, but he was clutch until the World Series. I think the addition of Yamamoto was more crucial in the postseason, though.

Excellent point. I totally agree. The Dodgers were always contenders, but just look at what happened the last two years with them not even getting out of the NLDS. And this year, with all the injuries, time off for Freeman, and new guys getting their footing, Ohtani was able to get enough clutch hits to manufacture several wins for them. Granted, he was nearly non-existent during the World Series, but you could make the case without him, they would not have won the West and secure the best record in baseball.

Why do Japanese people care so much for the Dodgers? If Ohtani was on the Yankees ,they would be cheering for the Yankees. If he was on the Brewers, they would be cheering for the Brewers.

It seems so fake.

They must be so proud that he is a world champion! It must have been so hard beating all the best teams from around the world.

Why do Japanese people care so much for the Dodgers? If Ohtani was on the Yankees ,they would be cheering for the Yankees. If he was on the Brewers, they would be cheering for the Brewers.

It seems so fake.

Because they are cheering for Ohtani. Whatever team Ohtani is on, that's the team they'll root for.

The LA Dodgers are a team and won as a team. It's not all about Otani. Japan fans take note.

Not like happened in LA..

Their city, their celebration LOOOOOL!

masterblasterToday  01:13 pm JST

Why do Japanese people care so much for the Dodgers? If Ohtani was on the Yankees ,they would be cheering for the Yankees. If he was on the Brewers, they would be cheering for the Brewers.

It seems so fake.

Southern California has the largest population of American Japanese in the US. LA is also the most popular US city for Japanese to visit and study in. Hideo Nomo, one of the first Japanese players to play in MLB played for the Dodgers. Kuroda, Saito, Nakamura, and Ishii also played for the Dodgers.

Never understood feeling pride over something you didn't do or help do yourself. And Ohtani did not win the World Series -- in fact, he hardly helped at all in the series itself -- the TEAM did. He's a part, for sure, but he is not the team itself.

masterblaster

Today 01:13 pm JST

Why do Japanese people care so much for the Dodgers? If Ohtani was on the Yankees ,they would be cheering for the Yankees. If he was on the Brewers, they would be cheering for the Brewers.

> It seems so fake.

Hahaha

masterblaster: "Why do Japanese people care so much for the Dodgers? If Ohtani was on the Yankees ,they would be cheering for the Yankees. If he was on the Brewers, they would be cheering for the Brewers."

Yup! Remember all the Red Sox memorabilia and other goods that sold like hotcakes when "Dice-K" was drafted by the team? To prove your point, you probably don't, nor do many others, because Dice-K washed out pretty quickly. Still, everyone was a huge fan of "the team" for a while after he was drafted. Now you won't meet a single one.

Never understood feeling pride over something you didn't do or help do yourself. And Ohtani did not win the World Series -- in fact, he hardly helped at all in the series itself -- the TEAM did. He's a part, for sure, but he is not the team itself.

or remember when you said Olympic gold medal is what counts as the top of the baseball games because your country won. Then, when Japan won both the WBC and a gold medal in the Olympics, you said baseball is an obscure sports.

or when you said that only players win and coaches have nothing to do with it.

no one except the typical posters on here believes it was ohtani all by himself that won it.

but you probably won’t remember. Back to making up stories of “just the other day, a Japanese…”

Never understood feeling pride over something you didn't do or help do yourself.

Nothing wrong with that. It's human nature to put megastars upon a mantle. The millions of fans in L.A., across America, and even around the globe have a right to feel pride in supporting any team or star they wish. These fans may not have had any direct influence on the Dodgers getting that title, but they are well within their right to celebrate it.

Fans celebrated wildly in Tokyo Thursday as baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani made their "dreams and hopes come true" by becoming a World Series winner.

A decent, pacific and civilized celebration...

Not like happened in LA..

Well, what happened in LA?