The Tokyo Dome went dark, the lights blinking off around the stadium. Suddenly, a spotlight flashed on: A lone child stood on the mound, staring toward the plate. But it wasn’t a baseball he was preparing to throw: It was a pokeball, the red-and-white orb famous from Pokémon.
If Tuesday’s Tokyo Series opener between the Dodgers and the Cubs was a one-of-a-kind ballgame, with five Japanese superstars playing against each other inside the iconic Tokyo Dome and two Japanese starting pitchers facing off, then the pregame ceremony needed to be just as momentous.
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As the child stood on the mound, winding up to throw the pokeball, the packed Tokyo Dome once again was plunged into darkness. Then, with epic, action-hero music, the videoboard in center field came to life proclaiming that “MLB Monsters went to Japan.”
The video played, highlighting the incredible big league stars who have come to Japan for special series like this in the past, with Babe Ruth in 1934 and Ken Griffey Jr. in 1990 among the highlights. Next, the narrative switched, detailing the Japanese monsters who came to the Major Leagues.
It was then time for the players to take the field for their introductions – each player earning a comparison to a different breed of Pokémon. As they did, a series of oversized and overstuffed Pikachus bounced and cantered adorably about the field.
Once finished, it was time for the national anthem. Yoshiki, an innovative Japanese composer whose work has been heralded around the world, walked out to center field to perform the national anthem for both Japan and the U.S. As he began to play, special light-up wristbands worn by the fans inside the Tokyo Dome lit up, a series of red, white and blue for the United States.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game that the moment was moving for the notoriously focused Shohei Ohtani: "One thing I did notice is how emotional he got during the Japanese national anthem. That was really something that was very telling, how emotional he was."
Kosuke Fukodome, the first Japanese player to don a Cubs jersey, was given first-pitch honors. As Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd squatted behind home plate, Fukodome fired.
Finally, it was time for the game to start, but there was still one more highlight upon the field: Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue – who has world championship titles across four weight classes – was here to announce, “Play ball!”