A private message on Instagram led to a life-changing experience for Samurai Japan outfielder Lars Nootbaar.
"Just like a lot of relationships now," Nootbaar joked about his path to Samurai Japan, which began with a direct message on Instagram that eventually led to an invitation to join the team for the World Baseball Classic.
Nootbaar began his spring preparing for his third MLB season with the St. Louis Cardinals after playing in 108 games last year. Now he is on the other side of the world wearing the same uniform as Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish. He has a legion of new fans too, and they have already created a special cheer song for him. Instead of playing at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, the Cardinals’ spring training home in Jupiter, Florida, which has a capacity of 6,871, Nootbaar will play in front of over 46,000 at Tokyo Dome. The American star is also making history as the first player named to Japan’s national team based on his ancestry.