When Shohei Ohtani blasted his first hit of the season in the right field stand at Tokyo Dome, he once again elevated baseball to a common language that transcends borders – a contagion that even legendary Ichiro couldn't match. The second game of the Tokyo series between the Dodgers and the Cubs was etched as a celebration of global baseball because of this blow.

Even though he hasn't pitched a single shot for the Dodgers, Ohtani has perpetuated the "once in a century" myth with his bat. In Japan, he remains the undisputed national icon; In North America, he has successfully established the ranks of LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes with his impressive performance during his time with the Angels and his $700 million contract with Dodgers.

In two Tokyo games this week, Ohtani gave American and Japanese fans a taste of the excitement of a "condensed version of the Olympic Games". In the fifth inning, he faced Nate Pearson, a right-hand shot from the Cubs, who grabbed an inside corner and blasted a shot into the right field (initially judged to be a home run against the wall, but later confirmed to have crossed the wall after a replay). Although the deep fly ball against Justin Steele in the first game was caught 10 feet in front of the left field wall, the blast was enough to set the field on fire.

Dodgers coach Dave Roberts lamented last year: "Ohtani? He is the miracle itself. In the 2023 season, the second-knife monster who came back after right elbow surgery became the first "50 Boom 50 Thieves" club member in history and won the second American League MVP in his career. The World Series with injuries (2 hits in 5 games) may be a little bleak, but the dominance of .364 batting + 2 hits + 9 points + 9 guarantees against Mets in the National League Championship is enough to go down in history.

Even the fact that he was escorted by Astros terminator Ryan Pressly in the ninth inning, which caused tens of thousands of people to sigh at Tokyo Dome, was a testament to its deterrent power – a tribute in itself when an opponent would rather face a punch from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman than a bat.

Two games, 3 hits, 1 hit and 3 points, led the Dodgers to sweep the Cubs to start the new season. At this moment, the East Coast fans waiting for the live broadcast at 6 a.m. and the Los Angeles audience staring at the screen late at night are witnessing the magic of the sport. As the 39-year-old LeBron enters the twilight of his career, the 30-year-old Ohtani is pushing his talent into the next dimension.

How lucky the Dodge is to have him, how lucky to have him in baseball, and how fortunate we are to witness this era. With the team's return to the United States to prepare for the home opener (against the Detroit Tigers), the rhapsody of "Shoping World" has just begun.