Shota Imanaga dedicates his All-Star cap to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Here’s why originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Puppies beginner Shota Imanaga dedicated his NL All-Star cap to the Baseball Hall of Fame after his performance for Texas in the All-Star Game.
Shota Imanaga @baseballhall
Following tonight #AllStarGame Shota dedicated his cap to the Baseball Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/okmsXN4FhJ
-Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 17, 2024
Why did Imanaga do this?
Imanaga is only the second Japanese player to represent the Cubs in the All-Star Game and is the first to pitch (Kosuke Fukudome was an outfielder in the 2008 ASG). He is also the second Japanese player to pitch for the National League in the All-Star Game, and the first since Hideo Nomo started the game in 1995.
Imanaga released in the bottom of the fourth inning, shortly after Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet pitched a scoreless fourth inning. Imanaga followed Crochet’s exit with a 1-2-3 inning.
The Cubs All-Star had Marcus Semien line up. He hit Adley Rutschman with a sweep that painted the bottom right corner. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was thrown out to second base.
Imanaga comically changed his opening song from “Chelsea Dagger” — a Chicago classic known as the Blackhawks’ scoring anthem — to “Be Like Mike,” an ode to Michael Jordan but a double entendre for his alias “Mike,” which he uses it in coffee shops to get his coffee.
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