It came right down to the final pitch.
The battle between Team USA and Japan came down to a duel between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, who are normally teammates with the Los Angeles Angels.
On a 3-2 slider, Ohtani set Trout down and secured a World Baseball Classic title for Japan.
The two-way star was later named MVP of the tournament.
After the game, Ohtani got a chance to speak with analysts at MLB Network.
During his visit, Hall-of-Famer and former Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez shared a nice inspirational message, thanking Ohtani for his efforts and his hard-nosed play.
Game recognize game 🤝@45PedroMartinez had a message for Shohei after winning the #WorldBaseballClassic championship 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/773hBZToPC
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 22, 2023
Martinez went on to thank Ohtani for his discipline and expressed to him how much he means to the game of baseball, while also praising him for representing the game in such a professional manner.
The Hall-of-Famer closed his statement by saying that everybody around the game of baseball was proud of Ohtani and grateful to have the opportunity to watch him put on a show on a daily basis.
This is about as wholesome as you can get.
Ohtani truly means a lot to the game and to the fans, especially in Japan.
But he’s turned into a global phenomenon with his two-way abilities and has even drawn comparisons to the great Babe Ruth.
Martinez certainly understands that a talented star like Ohtani only comes around once in a generation and that these types of players should be appreciated for everything they do and what they bring to the table.
NEXT: Shohei Ohtani Made Sure He Had No Regrets
