In Tokyo, Chicago Cubs enthusiasts are accustomed to embracing their underdog status, a title temporarily shed when they claimed the World Series in 2016, breaking a 107-year stretch without a championship.
During the opening games of the Major League Baseball regular season against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the highly celebrated Shohei Ohtani, the Cubs found themselves in comfortable territory. They suffered a 4-1 defeat in the first game and a 6-3 loss in the second encounter, highlighted by Ohtani’s home run.
Within the Tokyo Dome, Dodgers fans vastly overshadowed Cubs fans with an estimated 10 to 1 ratio. Reflecting on the immense attraction for Ohtani, it was observed that he accounted for 60-70% of the audience interest in the sold-out events, with the Cubs and Dodgers sharing the remainder of the draw.
Zach Valavanis, a devoted Cubs supporter, expressed his pride in their historical underdog theme while entering a themed bar adorned with Cubs memorabilia. “I feel like that’s been the case forever,” Valavanis remarked, referencing the unforgettable 2016 World Series win.
While the Cubs’ batting practice garnered a good crowd, the Dodgers’ session was a larger spectacle. It drew extensive media attention, including photographers, reporters, and video journalists focusing on Ohtani and fellow Japanese players, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
Although the Cubs also feature Japanese talent in pitchers Shota Imanaga and designated hitter Seiya Suzuki, they did not carry the fame of their Dodgers counterparts. Zach’s brother, Alex Valavanis, questioned the Dodgers’ extravagant spending while sporting his Cubs jersey. “I don’t think they can keep up that pace, but we’ll see,” he speculated.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell acknowledged the situation simply. “We’re playing the world champions, you expect that from that perspective,” he explained. “We’re playing against the most famous player in the world. So, you expect it from that perspective as well.”
Encompassing the sentiment, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts remarked on the enduring historic allure of teams like the Cubs but noted the current dominance of the Dodgers riding high on success. Roberts attributed much of the attention to the extraordinary popularity of Shohei Ohtani, emphasizing that while other Japanese players are notable, none have reached Ohtani’s level of fame.
