The Japanese slugger was introduced before each at-bat to loud roars that continued until a few seconds before the pitch, when the crowd went into a silent trance that’s normally reserved for events like Wimbledon or the Masters.

I have seen an image of Shohei Ohtani, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, gazing out from a vending machine while standing in a field of green tea leaves, a bottle of Ito En iced tea in his left hand,

TOKYO -- The expectations for Shohei Ohtani's first trip to Japan as a major league player were massive and unyielding. He is a near-mythic figure in his home country, and his presence there this week felt as much like a royal visit as it did a guy coming into town to play some baseball.