The World Baseball Classic has come and gone.
It was an exciting tournament full of so many twists and turns that made it one of the most memorable WBCs ever.
It came down to Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, two stars of the Los Angeles Angels who are arguably the two best players in all of baseball.
Ohtani won the final battle as Japan dethroned the United States at the top.
But Ohtani’s experience this spring was made even better by a certain St. Louis Cardinals outfielder.
From the start, the two-way star bonded with Lars Nootbaar and even began practicing the latter’s now famous “grind the pepper” celebration.
On Twitter, Cardinals reporter Jim Hayes posted a photo that the two stars took of each other during the celebration.
Good morning from Noot and his buddy. #STLCards pic.twitter.com/DTxJrVIvff
— Jim Hayes (@TheCatOnBallyTV) March 22, 2023
Nootbaar and Ohtani have formed a friendship that will last a lifetime.
Ohtani obviously had the chance to share some of his expertise with Nootbaar, but it appears that Nootbaar caught on pretty quickly.
Nootbaar also had his own important things to share with Ohtani.
Ohtani caught on pretty quickly as a result and was even quite thrilled with the idea of Nootbaar being Team Japan’s motivational speaker, keeping his teammates loose and relaxed as they prepared to compete for glory.
Now, these two new friends can share an unforgettable moment together after having claimed the title for Team Japan, which they will remember for the rest of their lives.
The regular season is now right around the corner, with Opening Day taking place on March 30.
NEXT: Shohei Ohtani Accomplished A Rare Feat Against Mike Trout
