Be it for Team USA fans or Team Japan fans, the final showdown of the 2023 World Baseball Classic was an incredible experience for baseball fans across the world. The tension was palpable, the air humming with electricity and anticipation as Shohei Ohtani, baseball?s two-way sensation, found his place on the mound to face off against his Los Angeles Angels teammate, Mike Trout. The world had been watching, with held breaths, as the Japanese star sent in pitches, that struck out Trout in an epic moment of triumph.?
But not everyone was moved by the incredible moment. Chris ?Mad Dog? Russo, a radio Hall of Famer, and apparent boredom buff. Despite Ohtani calling it the best moment of his life, with a storybook ending to boot, Russo bashed the showdown on ESPN?s First Take. However, people have not taken too kindly to Russo?s comments. Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman has come back with a vengeance and his apparent dislike of the radio voice.?
Stroman is not happy about Russo?s comments on Shohei Ohtani?s ?storybook? ending
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The Mad Dog has made it profusely clear that he is not among those who believe that the final at-bat of the World Baseball Classic was ?epic? or worthy of the attention it has been getting. In fact, he has gone so far as to take shots at the moment and even at the talents of Team USA?s captain, Mike Trout.?
In the recent ESPN segment, the radio voice expressed his frustration with the hype surrounding the at-bat, which he deemed unremarkable. ?Did you see the headlines today? ?Epic at bat,? an ?Incredible moment.? Why?? he remarked. He further expressed his strong opinion on Trout?s performance, saying, ?Trout does nothing but strikeout.?
And of course, baseball fans have not taken to his comments too kindly. Baseball fans and players alike have expressed their distaste about the media personality taking a shot at what can be considered the best players of the ballgame right now. For instance, Marcus Stroman has bashed Russo right back.
Trout and Ohtani are two of the best players to ever play the game. We continue to give lame clowns a voice in the media. What a poo-poo take from an old head. Comical that @MLB continues to give this clown a platform when all he does is degrade players and yell nonsense. 🤡 https://t.co/V4uYask1nq
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) March 22, 2023
The fact that @mlb continues to employ this man and give him a platform when he does everything BUT GROW THE GAME is comical. 🤡 https://t.co/GRWNHzVR8Y
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) March 22, 2023
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It?s clear that Russo, trying to push a negative narrative about the final showdown, has people in a raging debate, with an incredible pitcher like Stroman joining in on the frenzy. Going as far as to call the analyst a ?clown? for having a platform where he can ?grow the game? and instead doing quite the opposite.?
The not so ?epic? moment Mad Dog is talking about?
In the last inning, the very last moment of the World Baseball Classic, time seemed to slow to a crawl. The score was standing at 2-3 and Japan held the lead. Every eye was directed toward the infield. Mike Trout stepped up to bat, with Shohei Ohtani on the mound ready to deliver the pitch that would change the landscape of the game. It was a moment that held the promise of greatness, and Ohtani did not disappoint as he sent in the last pitch. In a split second, it was over. As the ball slowed down to a stop in the catcher?s glove, Ohtani knew that he had secured the win for Japan.?
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The euphoria radiated off the arena as Ohtani let out a tremendous shout, waiting for his teammates to rush in and embrace him. And while some critics may have not seen the moment as ?epic,? there is no denying the sheer beauty of baseball right then and there.
WATCH THIS STORY: Japanese Two-Way Baseball Star Shohei Ohtani Hits 100th Major League Homer