Americans are experiencing what Quebec and Canada felt more than fifty years ago. During the 1972 series of the century, fans sat quietly on their steaks, the best in the world applauding the best in the world.
Then the Soviets reached the Montreal Forum and hockey changed for good. Our game has now been shared so well with others. Sometimes better.
The Americans enjoyed a real, real World Series as Japan defeated the Americans 3-2 in the final game.
But it was the way Shohei Ohtani, arguably the greatest baseball player of all time, defeated teammate Mike Trout by three hits that sparked passions across the United States.
ALREADY COVERED IN JAPAN
It wasn’t the first World Classic. But in March 2023, Americans felt the best Americans had been beaten by the best Japanese. No excuses. Mike Trout is the captain of the Angels. Perhaps the most dangerous bat in all of baseball and the way Ohtani put it through the glove will one day end up in a big movie. It was fabulous.
I really like the reaction of American commentators after this extraordinary moment. They don’t cry over America’s defeat.
They rejoice that baseball has evolved from an ancient national pastime into a great sport shared by many countries around the world.
Because ice hockey now belongs to Russians, Swedes, Americans, Finns, Slovaks, Czechs, Swiss and I forget.
And for history buffs, the World Series is world in name only. It’s called the World Series because it was originally sponsored by The World newspaper.
Like the Avco Cup I think.
