WBC = Major League Cardinals player Nootvar, who was selected to represent Japan in the World Baseball Classic, practiced in a voluntary training session in Florida. showed a sharp hit to the opponent.
The Cardinals' Nootvar, who was the first Japanese-American player to be selected for the Japanese national team, has been training on his own since the 1st of this month at the team's campsite in Jupiter, Florida.
On the 17th, Nutvar had a real-life practice with a pitcher and played against his teammate Mikolas, who was a member of the WBC American national team and was also a professional baseball giant.
In the first at bat, I couldn't get my hands on the straight that pierced the course of Mikolas, and I struck out three balls.
In the second at-bat, he was forced into a two-strike due to a foul on the first pitch, which broke the bat, but he successfully caught the curve of the third pitch and hit the right ball.
In the third at-bat, when he played against another pitcher, he showed a good eye for choosing a four-ball by identifying a low ball from a full count.
Holding a baseball bat with a pattern of the Hinomaru and cherry blossoms that was given to him by a friend, Nutvar responded to the interview, saying, "It's a great honor for me to be able to represent Japan, my mother's home country. My mother is proud of me." I am very happy to have it,” he said.
In addition, he revealed that he had sent a message to his teammates of the Japanese national team, who had started training camp, saying, "I can play hard with strong passion, and I want to bring that characteristic to the team. I can't wait to join you. I want to do my best for the team and win the gold medal." Finally, she said in Japanese, "I'll do my best!" with a smile.
Mikolas “Many talented players in the Japanese national team”
Pitcher Mikolas, who played an active role in the professional baseball giants and is currently selected as the starting pitcher for the Major League Baseball Cardinals to represent the United States in the WBC, commented on his impression of the Japanese national team, saying, "I think it's a tough team. Many talented players have gathered. "It's one of the teams to watch out for in the tournament. On the other hand, I wish my teammate Nootvar the best of luck."
Regarding the participation of Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish, who are active in the major leagues, "They will share their experience in the major leagues with the team, so Japan is fully prepared to win the game. I think," he said.
Regarding the Japanese fans, he said, "I am grateful that they were such a wonderful presence when I was in Japan. I think the Giants fans in particular are the best in the world of baseball. Maybe one day I will be able to return." No," he said with a smile.