Slugging ace pitcher Shohei Ohtani donned his new Angels shirt before throwing a final pitch at Sapporo Dome on Monday following his farewell news conference.
Ohtani, who reasserted his desire to both pitch and hit in the majors, got an early start on the language which will soon become an everyday thing by introducing himself to his Japanese fans in English, drawing laughter and applause when his words were translated into his native language.
"Long time no see," he said to laughs from the crowd at the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters' home park. "I'm Shohei Ohtani. Thank you for coming to my press conference."