Game 1 of the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Series kicked off yesterday (July 28) at the Tokyo Dome, drawing a massive crowd of stars and fans. And as expected, the players brought their A-game, not just on the field, but also with some hilarious antics to grab everyone's attention.
Among them, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles outfielder Ryosuke Tatsumi absolutely stole the show. When he stepped up to bat in the top of the seventh as a pinch-hitter, he was rocking a pair of glasses emblazoned with his team's corporate parent, "Rakuten Card"! The crowd went wild, and his bizarre yet brilliant stunt instantly became the talk of the game, blowing up across Japanese social media.
Honestly, Ryosuke Tatsumi has always been one of NPB's most entertaining personalities. In the past, he's famously pulled off multiple costume changes at NPB awards ceremonies, dressing up as a Japanese samurai, Jack the Ripper, and even a "Shogun." He once even showed up "all gold everything" to an awards show – talk about a player who loves to have fun!
Tatsumi's All-Star game shenanigans actually started even before the first pitch. During the pre-game lineup introductions, he strutted out wearing LED-equipped sunglasses that scrolled a message: "I can totally see the ball!" (ちゃんと球見えてます！). Right then and there, everyone knew he was there to steal the spotlight.
▼ The glasses even scrolled ads for his beloved Rakuten Card! LOL.
When Tatsumi walked to the plate in the top of the 7th as a pinch-hitter, he switched to the "Rakuten Card glasses," and this "shameless product placement" absolutely ignited the Tokyo Dome crowd.
However, despite what looked like strategically placed holes, the glasses seemed to mess with his vision at the plate. After watching three pitches, he had to take them off and hand them to the next batter, SoftBank Hawks star Yuki Yanagita. Though he ultimately struck out, his hilarious stunt instantly became the game's biggest highlight, adding an extra layer of fun to the All-Star festivities.
