The World Baseball Classic is set to get underway late on Tuesday night.
Typically played every four years, the WBC was pushed back in 2021 as a result of the pandemic.
But two years later, the Classic is set to finally return for the first time since 2017.
That year, Team USA won the tournament.
For St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar, the Classic will be a chance for him and his family to live out a dream.
Nootbaar will be playing for Team Japan alongside Shohei Ohtani.
Nootbaar is of Japanese descent and has dreamed of the opportunity to play for Team Japan since he was a child.
On Twitter, MLB Players Media tweeted a video featuring an interview with Nootbaar expressing his excitement.
Lars Nootbaar will realize a family dream this week at the #WorldBaseballClassic.
The @Cardinals outfielder will suit up for Team Japan. 🇯🇵@WBCBaseball | @samuraijapan_pr pic.twitter.com/W0IX2qcOw4
—MLB Players Media (@MLBPlayersMedia) March 7, 2023
Nootbaar made his MLB debut on June 22, 2021 against the Detroit Tigers.
One day later, the promising young outfielder tripled for his first Major League hit.
Since then, Nootbaar has become a fan favorite in St. Louis, with fans serenading him with the sound of his name every time he comes to the plate at Busch Stadium.
In the video, Nootbaar reflects on what his childhood was like.
He recalled one of the most important lessons that was ever bestowed upon him, that hard work is required to achieve a dream.
When the 2020 minor league season was cancelled, Nootbaar was forced to take a job with an Aerospace company, which required manual labor.
The young outfielder reflected on the job and talked about how he ultimately came to realize how lucky he was to have baseball.
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