The Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series victory reflected the increasingly global nature of baseball, as two Japanese stars featured prominently in the Game 7 showdown.
Shohei Ohtani, arguably the biggest celebrity in Japan, hit and pitched for the Dodgers on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto relief-pitched and was named MVP.
“I am so proud today to be Japanese,” a Tokyo cab driver told The Associated Press.
In addition to being an economic force, the sport has also been used as a diplomatic tool: When US President Donald Trump visited Japan last week, he sat down with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to watch some of the World Series together.