The moment the ball left Shohei Ohtani’s bat, the Tokyo Dome ceased being a baseball stadium and became something else entirely—a temple of noise, a cathedral of pure joy, a place where history was no longer a concept but something tangible,

This week wasn’t about the defending World Series champions visiting Japan, or Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s transformation, or even Roki Sasaki’s major league debut.

Shohei Ohtani's every step, swing and smile were intensely followed this week during his homecoming at the Tokyo Dome, an event that would make most wilt under the pressure.