Ohtani tagged as Japanese ‘treasure’

NEW YORK (AFP) — Shohei Ohtani is “a treasure” and “above the clouds” in his hometown in Japan where fans met Wednesday thousands of miles from Yankee Stadium to watch their hero try to seal baseball’s World Series.

Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers were on the brink of clinching the title having taken a 3-0 series lead against the New York Yankees.

The celebrations were on when his team went ahead early in Game 4 but the Yankees fought back to win 11-4 and extend the series.

Oshu, a sleepy city of 110,000 in northern Japan known for its apples and beef, will need to wait at least one more day for its favorite son to lift the trophy.

“He’s like someone who lives above the clouds, so it’s a huge source of pride that he comes from Oshu,” 44-year-old Norihisa Sato told AFP at a public viewing event at city hall.

Anticipation was high among the roughly 60 supporters who gathered early in the morning as Ohtani stepped up to the plate for the first action of the game.