Freeze the moment in the snow globe of your mind. No better ending to no better tournament could have been hand-crafted than the tableau under the dome of loanDepot Park. Shohei Ohtani, his pants caked with dirt from a night of hitting, running and sliding as the DH for Team Japan, pitching to Mike Trout of Team USA with two outs and a full count in the ninth inning of a one-run game for the World Baseball Classic championship.
Even the home plate umpire, Lance Barksdale, acknowledged the serendipity of the moment.
“Of course,” he said. “These are the times when you feel blessed just to be a part of it. I did recognize the moment. It was just a blessing.”
