By Irene Wang
TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese baseball fans hailed Shohei Ohtani’s fourth unanimous MVP Award on Friday, calling the Los Angeles Dodgers star a source of national pride and welcome good news amid the economic gloom.
“Despite going through a difficult period after getting married and having a child, he managed to give his all and achieve such results,” Yukihiro Kosaka, 54, said in front of a train station in central Tokyo.
Ohtani, 31, was named American League MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels and led the Dodgers to back-to-back World Series championships in his second season with the club.
“I think it is really a monumental achievement. I feel very proud,” said Yukiko Yamashita, 38, a longtime Ohtani supporter.
Takaaki Ichikawa, 46, said Ohtani’s achievements made the whole country proud.
“It’s truly a pride for the Japanese people,” said the civil servant, who learned of the news after receiving a special edition newspaper.
“In the current economic stagnation, it is wonderful to hear such positive news, and it encourages me to keep working hard.”
University student Yoshino Inoue hoped Ohtani could be the MVP of both the World Baseball Classic and MLB next year.
“This season kicked off with the opening game in Japan,” said Inoue.
“I watched that game and saw his first home run here, which was really great. And when the season wrapped up, he ended up winning MVP again. I think that just shows how great of a player Ohtani is.”
The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a thrilling seven-game series to win their second straight championship and third in six seasons, cementing themselves as a modern-day dynasty.
“It was a great year,” Ohtani said on MLB Network via a translator.
“I’m grateful to my teammates, the coaching staff… but not only them. The fans were the ones who really rooted us on and supported us.”
(Writing by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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