In the winter of 2016, Kiké Hernández, who had yet to become a playoff hero in Los Angeles fans, returned to Puerto Rico after his second season with the Dodgers to play in the Winter League for the Gigantes de Carolina. It was there that he met Kazuma Okamoto, a fledgling Japanese first baseman at the time, who blasted a double shot for the Samurai Japan at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

At the time, Okamoto had just finished his first full season with the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants and was still a young rookie. "You can see he's talented, but he still needs to be polished," Hernandez recalled ahead of the Tokyo series. Now, for the sixth year in a row (2018-23), the giant has reached 30+ hits and ranks ninth among active NPB players with 262 home runs. Walking through the Tokyo Dome Players' Tunnel, his image is already on a par with that of the giants.

"Seeing high-level baseball overseas has given me more motivation," said Okamoto, who interprets Yukino Imai, "and it has also made me appreciate the charm of the sport." "

During the 2018 MLB All-Star Series, the two reunited in Japan. In Saturday's exhibition match, Hernandez played for the Dodgers against the Giants, but he couldn't catch up with Okamoto. "I waved to him in the right field, and he waved in the left field," Hernandez laughed, "I wanted to deliberately miss his high fly ball and create a chance to catch up on base, but unfortunately it didn't work out." "

Okamoto also regretted: "Of course I wanted to chat, but I didn't find the opportunity. But we're still good friends, and this tacit understanding won't change. "

As a member of the 2023 World Baseball Classic champions, Okamoto is looking forward to defending his title next year: "It's a great honor to play alongside top players like Shohei Ohtani. Witnessing his performance yesterday made me even more eager to wear the national team shirt again. "

Hernandez, a four-time World Series competitor and two-time Puerto Rico Classic, placed the event on the same level as the World Series: "The energy of the crowd makes the classic magical, if not better. "

When the lights of Tokyo Dome illuminate the two international friends, the bond of baseball transcends languages and borders, writing the common memory of baseball people around the world.