Pepper-grinder move unwelcome in Japan high school tourney
Japanese team supporters gesture as Team Japan scored in the third inning of the quarterfinal against Italy at the World Baseball Classic, at a sports bar in Tokyo, Thursday, March 16, 2023. Lars Nootbaar's pepper-grinder gesture is catching on all across Japan, not just at the Tokyo Dome.(Kyodo News via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS]
TOKYO (AP) — Lars Nootbaar’s imaginary pepper-grinder was the talk of World Baseball Classic games in Japan, but the fun-loving gesture by the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder does not appear welcome in Japan’s popular high school baseball tournament. When a player in a Japan high school tournament game twisted his two fists together after getting on first base, the umpire told him to stop. The Japan High School Baseball Federation said in a statement: “We have always asked high school baseball to abstain from unnecessary performances and gestures.” The player’s manager defended the player and said he was just having fun.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A player for Tohoku High School gestures after getting on first base during their game against Yamanashi Gakuin Senior High School at a stadium in Nishinomiya, Osaka, western Japan Saturday, March 18, 2023. Lars Nootbaar's imaginary pepper-grinder was the talk of World Baseball Classic games in Japan, but the fun-loving gesture by the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder does not appear welcome in Japan's popular high school baseball tournament.(Kyodo News via AP)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS