Leaders say Japan can learn from national team

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan can learn a lot from the national
baseball team’s never-say-die spirit following their victory at
the inaugural World Baseball Classic, a leading political
figure said on Wednesday.

Japanese manager and home run king Sadaharu Oh led his team
to a 10-6 victory over Cuba in San Diego on Monday after
pounding South Korea in their semi-final to avenge two earlier
defeats.

“I think the people’s heart became one for the first time
in a long time,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe told a news
conference on Wednesday.

“They grabbed the chance afforded by their unexpected
advance into the finals. We should learn from the guts of ‘Oh
Japan’.”

Members of the team — except for major leaguers Ichiro
Suzuki and Akinori Otsuka who stayed in the United States —
received a hero’s welcome when they returned home on Wednesday.

They were greeted at the airport by rows of fans who
cheered and clapped when the team appeared from the arrival
lobby.

Japan had been on the brink of elimination before Mexico’s
shock win over the United States let them advance to the
semi-finals.

The win still dominated the front pages of national dailies
and television talk shows on Wednesday and highlights of the
team’s path to victory were replayed over and again.

Abe said the government was considering national awards for
the team and a special honor for Ichiro Suzuki, whose displays
of passion and prowess endeared the usually stoic Seattle
Mariners all-star outfielder to his compatriots.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was equally enthused.

“I was impressed for the first time in a long time. I
believe it touched the hearts of many people,” he told
reporters.

Farm Minister Shoichi Nakagawa had high praise for Ichiro.

“Ichiro is a great player because he has lots of cards…
and knows which one to play depending on the situation,”
Nakagawa told a news conference.

The baseball victory was especially sweet after Japan’s
disappointing performance at the Winter Olympics, where figure
skater Shizuka Arakawa’s gold was the country’s only medal.

(Additional reporting by Aya Takada and Masayuki Kitano)