Shohei Ohtani is the star attraction for MLB’s season-opening Tokyo Series, and he made an honest admission about what it is like to return to his home nation to play.
Ohtani spoke to MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds following the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs at Japan’s Tokyo Dome on Tuesday. The three-time MVP admitted that playing in Japan makes him nervous, an unusual feeling for him.
“I was actually pretty nervous. It’s been a while since I was nervous, but today, I definitely felt it,” Ohtani said via his translator Will Ireton. “Just a very unique environment, a unique situation where I do feel that the fans are expecting me to get some hits, so that was a bit different.”
Fans at the Tokyo Dome left no doubt who they were there to see. The crowd of 42,365 went silent every time Ohtani stepped in to face a pitch, which is an extremely unusual environment for any player to deal with.
It goes without saying that Ohtani is a massive celebrity in Japan. There is a frenzy around him everywhere he goes there. This is a player who was not remotely nervous for his first appearance in the MLB playoffs, but this environment understandably causes him some jitters.
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Ohtani’s nerves did not seem to impact his performance. He came through with two hits and scored two runs in the Dodgers’ win. He has already delivered for fans in Tokyo, as he blasted a two-run home run on Saturday during an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants.
