Monday, March 24

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The Dodgers accomplished what they set out to do in Japan: win two ballgames and set the tone for another big season. 

But the Tokyo Series was about so much more than the results on the field. The two-game set was the grand finale of a weeklong celebration of Japan's passion for baseball, underscoring that the game is at its best when it's global.

Here's a (non-exhaustive) list of some of the Dodgers' coolest moments in Tokyo this past week:

The Sho

This one's a no-brainer. Between the Dodgers and Cubs, five Japanese stars returned to their home country for the Tokyo Series -- and unsurprisingly, Shohei Ohtani loomed the largest. 

It wasn't just because his likeness is plastered across the city, although that was certainly a factor. It was all about the way fans responded to Ohtani: showering him with ovations when he stepped on the field for warmups, hanging on every pitch of his plate appearances -- and even having outsized reactions to other Dodgers getting on base to turn over the lineup and bring Ohtani back up. 

Better yet, Ohtani delivered for the Tokyo Dome faithful, homering in the Dodgers' exhibition against the Yomiuri Giants and going 3-for-8 -- including his first home run of the regular season -- in the Tokyo Series. 

Living legend

This past offseason, manager Dave Roberts had made a trip of his own to Japan, where one of the highlights was having dinner with the legendary Sadaharu Oh. Roberts got to reunite with Oh this week, when the global home run king took in the festive atmosphere at the Tokyo Dome.

As Roberts and Oh were catching up, there was a steady stream of former Major Leaguers coming over to exchange a few words with the all-time great, who hit an astounding 868 homers across 22 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants.

“I consider Oh-san a friend, and so to see him here in person, I think the fans all were excited to see him," Roberts said. "There’s a lot of Major League players, former players, up on the field that got to take a picture with him, and he really appreciated that. I just think, again, it’s just bringing Japanese baseball with Major League Baseball. It was a really special moment.”

Mr. Worldwide

With a second-inning double in Game 2, Max Muncy became the fourth Major Leaguer to get a hit in five countries: the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South Korea and Japan. The three others, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, are Edgardo Alfonzo, Xander Bogaerts and Paul Goldschmidt. 

Muncy had been aware that he had the opportunity to join that exclusive club, but only because he was told about it while making a podcast appearance the night before. He thought it was cool once he picked up that fateful hit, but …

"I'm not going to say it's a meaningless stat," Muncy said, "but it's kind of a meaningless stat."

Universal language

A tip of the cap to the Hanshin Tigers' pitching staff, who blanked both the Dodgers and Cubs in exhibition games over the weekend. Tigers ace Hiroto Saiki led the charge against L.A., striking out seven across five innings and only giving up one hit and one walk. As if that strong performance wasn't enough, Saiki wrapped a great day at the ballpark by talking pitching with Tyler Glasnow.

Glasnow was seen demonstrating one of his pitch grips, while Saiki watched carefully and asked questions along the way. The two may have needed an interpreter to facilitate the exchange, but their common passion for the game required no translation.

Electric atmosphere

The energy at the Tokyo Dome was off the charts for every game the Dodgers played. The exhibition games especially brought a taste of what makes the ballpark experience in Japan unique, with fans of the Giants and Tigers breaking out personalized chants and songs for every batter in the lineup. 

For some Dodgers, the lively atmosphere felt similar to Latin American winter ball.

"When it comes to just culture as it is, I believe that the Latin culture and the Japanese culture can't be more far apart from each other," Kiké Hernández said. "But when it comes to the passion and the way that fans enjoy the game … it's the closest thing to it."

Got any questions about the Tokyo Series, or what comes next now that the team is back on home soil? I'm looking to do a mailbag before the Dodgers open their domestic schedule against the Tigers on March 27.

Please submit any questions you have using this form by the end of Sunday, and I'll get to as many as I can in my next newsletter. Thanks in advance to anyone who participates!

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