Walking through the bustling Tokyo Dome concourse on Thursday night was like being dropped into a living, breathing exhibition dedicated to Shohei Ohtani.
There were 41,616 fans in attendance at Tokyo Dome for Japan's first game of the World Baseball Classic against China, and as many of them snaked through the corridor at the Big Egg, they formed a vibrant gallery depicting Ohtani’s rise through the game.
There were Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters uniforms, from the era when Ohtani was just starting to poke at established tradition by becoming a two-way player. There were also Los Angeles Angels uniforms, representing the current era when Ohtani has all but perfected his two-way art and become perhaps the best player in the world. Other fans donned Ohtani’s Samurai Japan uniform, the same one he wore when he made his memorable debut in the WBC in Japan’s 8-1 win over China on Thursday.