OFF THE WALL

Japanese fans loving Nootbaar

Most Japanese couldn’t recognize Lars Nootbaar a few weeks ago, before the World Baseball Classic opened. Few could even pronounce his name or spell it in English or Japanese.

He’s becoming a household name in Japan, and fans are singing the praises of the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder at the Tokyo Dome, where he went 5-for-11 with two RBIS during Japan’s 3-0 start.

The impromptu song lyrics have anointed Nootbaar (pictured) as a Samurai and refer to him by his middle name — Tatsuji, which is his grandfather’s name. He’s playing with Japan because of his mother’s roots, the first non-japan-born player chosen for the national team by ancestry.

Hundreds now arrive at the Dome wielding pepper grinders, which has become his trademark with the Cardinals. Fans hold up signs calling Nootbaar an “American-born Samurai,” and his teammates address him by his Japanese nickname “Tachan.”

Cardinals teammate Tommy Edman is playing in Tokyo with South Korea, also because of his mother’s roots. They’re sharing similar experiences, except that Japan has been winning. South Korea lost its first two games.

“It’s definitely different to wear a whole nation’s letters across my chest,” Edman said.

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is still the most famous Japanese baseball player, but he called Nootbaar “a great talent and personality, so I have no worries about him. The more fans cheer, it will bring extra energy.”

Nootbaar says he’s been awe-struck by Ohtani, and has repeated the theme endlessly.

“I’m just like you guys,” Nootbaar said. “I think I’m just like a fan being able to watch him. I’m just fortunate to get a front-row seat to it.”

Fans have picked up the “Noot-noot-noot” chant, and he’s already among the favorites on a star-studded Japanese team that includes Yu Darivsh and Roki Sasaki, the best pitching prospect in Japanese baseball.

“To be in the Tokyo Dome for the first time ever representing Japan — pretty surreal experience,” Nootbaar said.

Trivia question Who is the oldest player to make the cut at The Players Championship? BBC crisis

The BBC was forced to scrap much of its weekend sports programming as the network scrambled to stem an escalating crisis over its suspension of soccer host Gary Lineker for comments criticizing the British government’s new asylum policy.

As a growing number of English Premier League players and BBC presenters rallied to Lineker’s support and refused to appear on the airwaves on Saturday, Britain’s national broadcaster faced allegations of political bias and suppressing free speech, as well as praise from some Conservative politicians.

The broadcaster said it would air only “limited sport programming” this weekend after hosts of many of its popular sports shows declined to appear, in solidarity with Lineker. The former England captain was suspended from “Match of the Day,” a popular soccer highlights show, over a Twitter post that compared lawmakers’ language about migrants to that used in Nazi Germany.

Trivia answer

Jerry Kelly