The prospect of an early regular season started off the MLB's engagement with cultural exchanges, highlighted by a matchup between the Dodgers and Cubs. Despite the novelty with Pokémon mascots and a historical nod to Japanese baseball via legend Sadaharu Oh, the actual play was less rigorous, emphasizing the festival's atmosphere over competitive intensity. The Cubs and Dodgers had a notable mix of Japanese talent on the field, creating an exciting but laid-back start to the baseball year.
The soft power exchange of MLB with Pokémon meant that no fewer than six Pikachus dressed in baseball jerseys were placidly bobbling about the diamond.
The game will qualify as a home game for the Cubs, who were down on the Dodgers in both headcount of Japanese stars and overarching popularity.
If it didn't quite feel like regular season baseball, well—that was hardly the most important part.
Japanese baseball legend Sadaharu Oh was present for the game, underscoring the cultural exchange theme inherent in this year's baseball events.
Collection
[
|
...
]