ST. PETERSBURG — History was made Thursday at Tropicana Field. With a single in the seventh inning against the Rays, 24-year-old Los Angeles Angels two-way wonder Shohei Ohtani became the first Japanese player to hit for the cycle in the major leagues.
Before being taken to a two-language news conference, Ohtani was escorted to the showers by teammates and doused with beer. In keeping with the family theme, Ohtani’s interpreter was also given a beer shower.
Albert Pujols stood at his locker and watched Ohtani get paraded out of the showers. Pujols smiled.
“I’m happy for him,” Pujols said.