When Japan was eliminated in the WBC 2nd consecutive semifinal, there were many evaluations that ‘the golden age was over’. However, at the WBC, which returned after six years, Japan succeeded in a perfect generation change and made a strong national team again. 토토사이트
The Japanese baseball team has risen to the top of the world. Japan, led by coach Hideki Kuriyama, won 3-2 in the final against the United States at the 2023 WBC (World Baseball Classic) held at Londipo Park in Miami, Florida, USA on the 22nd (hereinafter Korean time).
It is Japan who has recorded 7 victories in this tournament. Japan, which topped Group B with 4 wins and 0 losses in the group stage, defeated Italy in the quarterfinals and Mexico in the semifinals. In particular, Japan, which had a dramatic end-game victory by scoring two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning against Mexico, won the championship by defeating the “all-star lineup” USA in the final held the very next day without a break.
This is the third time Japan has won the WBC. In 2006, the first competition, and in 2009, the second competition, they won two consecutive championships. In the 2013 and 2017 tournaments, he bowed his head as he lost in the semifinals, but rose to the top in the WBC, which resumed after six years.
The reason why Japan’s victory is so great is because it has perfectly succeeded in changing generations. Among the Japanese national team players participating in this WBC, most of them are in their 20s. Including Shohei Ohtani (29), who became a world-class star as a major leaguer, Seiya Suzuki (29), who was unable to attend due to an injury at the last minute, Masataka Yoshida (29), who signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox and is about to advance to the major leagues, and Okamoto, the “sluggish hitter”. Kazuma (27) and Shota Imanaga (30), a left-handed pitcher with sophisticated pitches who ‘surprised’ as the starting pitcher for the finals. All of the key players are in their late 20s and are now at the peak of their prime.
In addition, it should be noted that most of the players who have already grown into national team players are in their early 20s. Rocky Sasaki (22) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (25), the best starting pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), as well as Taisei Ota (24), who was a rookie of the year, and Hiroto Takahashi, who showed guts by striking out Mike Trout in the final. 21), Murakami Munetaka (23), the “home run king,” who hit a dramatic ending hit in the semifinals and a solo home run in the final, and those who have proven that they are effective not only in the league but also in international competitions, attract attention.
The Japanese baseball team ‘Samurai Japan’, which they played a key role in, is expected to open another golden era.