Japanese stars Ohtani, Sasaki turn Czech players into fans

By STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer

TOKYO (AP) — There a common thread running through the World Baseball Classic when opponents face Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani and his Japanese teammates. Players become fans, collect souvenirs, chase autographs and cherish memories. Czech player William Escala returned home with a autographed ball from Japan star pitcher Roki Sasaki. Escala says it’s “something I’ll cherish and never forget.” Czech teammate Ondrej Satoria struck out Ohtani on three pitches and will always treasure that ball. But he couldn’t line up Ohtani to sign it. Satoria says “it doesn’t matter. I’ve got the ball and it’s really cool.”