Tsuyoshi Wada entered Game 2 of the MLB-Japan All-Star Series on Friday night at Tokyo Dome to the strains of Tom Petty's 1989 hit "Free Fallin'," which was serving as the de facto soundtrack to Rob Wooten's exit from the game after having given up a run.

It was a special moment for Wada, who played college baseball nearby at Waseda University and was later an NPB star for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. Especially since "Free Fallin' " might have also been an apt description of Wada's career as he struggled with injuries after making the move to the majors. But there he was on Friday, a bona-fide major leaguer, now with the Chicago Cubs, and representing the MLB team during its tour of Japan.

"It's an honor, even though I feel a little weird being on the American side," Wada told The Japan Times prior to Game 2. "But it's going to be something I treasure for all of my baseball life."