Lars Nootbaar of the St. Louis Cardinals has been having the time of his life this spring.
The World Baseball Classic made its return after a six-year absence, and Nootbaar was one of 17 Cardinals players to compete in the tournament.
The 25-year-old outfielder is of Japanese descent and always dreamed of representing Team Japan.
But that dream has been taken a step further with Japan’s jaw-dropping comeback win over Mexico on Monday.
Down 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, third baseman Munetaka Murakami delivered a clutch two-run double off Nootbaar’s Cardinals teammate Giovanny Gallegos to send Japan to the final.
After the game, Nootbaar was all smiles and he reflected on his WBC journey and the excitement of Monday’s game.
Team USA vs Team Japan tomorrow is going to be ELECTRIC! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/gzxSnMtdsE
—MLB (@MLB) March 21, 2023
Nootbaar stated that his emotions were simply all over the place after the excitement of Monday night’s win, as he struggled to put into words just what this moment meant to him.
He praised Murakami for his clutch hit off Gallegos and his ability to come through in big moments.
Nootbaar also reflected on how Shohei Ohtani sparked the rally, which got Team Japan fired up in their dugout.
He once again praised his teammates for their ability to come from behind when their backs were against the wall, three outs away from elimination.
Finally, the young outfielder and fan favorite expressed his excitement to get going in the championship game on Tuesday against Team USA.
He’ll match up against four Cardinals teammates of his in Miles Mikolas, Adam Wainwright, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado.
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Lars Nootbaar Has Provided Serious Pop For Team Japan
