TOKYO ( Associated Press) – Japan completed its 30-man roster for the World Baseball Classic on Thursday, adding a pair of outfielders from major league clubs in the United States: Lars Knutbaar of the St. Louis Cardinals and Masaka Yoshida of the Boston Sox. . Red.
Nutbar’s mother is Japanese but she grew up in California and does not speak Japanese. He is the first player to represent Japan in a Classic because of his ancestry.
Japan upgraded the first group of 12 players last month and included three major league stars: Los Angeles Angels pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish and San Diego Padres outfielder Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs.
Nootbar said in an interview a few weeks ago at a Cardinals promotional event in St. Louis that he does not speak Japanese, but is learning it from his mother, Kumi Enokida.
“I’ll try (to talk) a little bit,” he said. “Of course, it will be difficult to learn the language in a month. I’ll try My mother is singing the Japanese national anthem for me at home. I repeat it. things like that”.
Japan has been crowned Classic champions twice, but the last title dates back to 2009. The fifth edition would have Hideki Kuriyama as its manager. Japan won the first tournament in 2006. The Dominican Republic was crowned in 2013, and the United States defended the title at the last edition held in 2017.
El Clásico will be played from March 8 to 21 in Japan, Taiwan and the US. 20 teams will play.
Latin America will be the continent with the largest participation, with Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama and Nicaragua.
Japan will debut against China in Pool B on March 9 at the Tokyo Dome. The top two from Groups A and B will advance to the quarter-finals, which will be played in Tokyo on March 15 and 16. The winners will advance to the semi-finals in Miami on March 19 and 20.
The final will be held in Miami on March 21.
Japan Squad:
Lanzadores: Yu Darvish (Padres de San Diego); Shota Imanaga (DNA BioStars); Hiromi Ito (Nippon Ham Fighters); Ryoji Kuribayashi (Hiroshima Carp); Roki Sasaki (Lotte Marine); Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi Dragons); Keiji Takahashi (Yakult Swallows); Shosei Togo (Yomiuri Giants); Yuki Udagawa (Oryx buffalo); (Oryx buffalo); Atsuki Yusa (Hanshin Tigers).
Catchers: Takuya Kai (SoftBank Hawks); Yuhi Nakamura (Yakult Swallows); Takumi Oshiro (Yomiuri Giants).
Fielders: Sosuke Genda (Sibu Lions); Shugo Maki (DNA BioStars); Munetaka Murakami (Yakult swallows); Takumu Nakano (Hanshin Tigers); ,
Outfielders: Kensuke Kondo (SoftBank Hawks); Lars Knutbar (St. Louis Cardinals); Ukyo Shuto (Soft Bank Hawks); Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs); Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox).
