For years with the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout have dazzled as two of MLB’s brighter stars.
And yet, despite their combined individual brilliance, the Angels have often found a way to lose in some of the most comical ways. Baseball fans have pointed this irony out before, dubbing it the ole “Tungsten Arm O’Doyle” — named for two faces of the sport making never-before-seen history, but their team loses anyway.
With Ohtani and Trout on the same team, they’ve usually fallen in line together here. But now, after Ohtani’s Team Japan outlasted Team Mexico in an instant classic, he’ll square off against Mike Trout’s Team USA in the World Baseball Classic Final on Tuesday.
Oh, and Ohtani might pitch against Trout …
Shohei Ohtani says that he is prepared to pitch tomorrow
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 21, 2023
And you know what that means: something finally has to give with the Tungsten Arm O’Doyle meme.
Someone between Ohtani and Trout on the same field will actually get to win a championship after playing absurdly well. It’s kind of mind-blowing, and the reality had baseball fans all making the same reference.
the WBC finals is officially the ‘tungsten arm’ o’doyle bowl https://t.co/vSpstyMQmz
— alex (@steven_lebron) March 21, 2023
The Tungsten Arm O’Doyle Classic https://t.co/nU9EjnkXs5
— Kyle Madson (@KyleAMadson) March 21, 2023
Tungsten Arm O'Doyle v Mike Trout
— Yabbs (@Yabbs) March 21, 2023
Somewhere, Tungsten Arm O’Doyle is smiling
— Mike Nash (@MikeNash15) March 21, 2023
Unlike Trout and Ohtani, ol' Tungsten Arm O'Doyle never did play in the World Baseball Classic title game, I don't think.
— Tim Seeman (@Tim_Seeman) March 21, 2023
Trout vs. Ohtani and the Angels won’t be able to Tungsten Arm O’Doyle it.
— Nick Simon (@Nick_JSimon) March 21, 2023
The Tungsten Arm O'Doyle Bowl😁 https://t.co/o1v3fcVaw3
— Eddy Tabone (@Eddy_Tabone) March 21, 2023
Somewhere Tungsten Arm O'Doyle and his teammates on the 1921 Akron Groomsmen are smiling because Mike Trout gets to face Shohei Ohtani for a championship tomorrow night. #WorldBaseballClassic
— BETSPERTS (@betsperts) March 21, 2023
The only post that you can retweet into my timeline on a weekly basis forever and not get me bored of it https://t.co/6woudvinfY
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) March 21, 2023
This tweet has to be in the running for best of all time. Just perfect. https://t.co/twI7t3KoQG
— Jack (@RealJackKeeney) March 21, 2023