Photo/Illutration Lars Nootbaar waves at a sold-out crowd at Tokyo Dome during a “hero interview” after Japan beat South Korea in the World Baseball Classic tournament on March 10. (Jin Nishioka)

As leadoff hitter, Lars Nootbaar has lived up to expectations of providing a spark for Samurai Japan at the World Baseball Classic. But what he may not have expected was his positive effect on sales of a kitchenware product here.

Viewers of the Japan national team’s romp through Group B to advance to the final round of the WBC have surely noticed the Japanese players making a gesture of grinding pepper after their base hits.

That gesture has been used by the St. Louis Cardinals, Nootbaar’s team in the major leagues. It symbolizes an attitude of hustle, contributing to the team, and “grinding” out success, like moving up a base.

Nootbar introduced it to the team. And since pre-WBC training games, pepper mills have become a hot-selling item in Tokyo.

In the Kappabashi “dougugai” (kitchenware street) district in the capital’s Taito Ward, baseball fans have been buying pepper mills to do the grinding gesture together with the players.

Kitchen World TDI, a cooking utensil store in the district, hurriedly set up a corner to display nothing but pepper mills of all sizes, along with a promotional statement, “WBC, Go Nippon!”

Yoshihito Fujisaki, the store manager, said young sales clerks came up with the idea.

Sales of pepper mills have grown by 15 percent since then, he said.

On March 9, when Samurai Japan played its opening game against China, the store sold a 75-centimeter-tall pepper mill with a price tag of 10,000 yen ($75).

Some fans said they would bring pepper mills to Tokyo Dome and use them to cheer for the team, Fujisaki said.

Staff at sports bars are also buying the mills for cheering purposes at their outlets, he said.

LUCKY CHARM

Nootbaar, who was born and raised in Southern California to an American father and Japanese mother, has quickly won over Japanese fans, and not just for his timely hits and outstanding defensive play.

He never cut corners and always sprints to first base even when he is certain to be thrown out.

After Japan’s crushing win over South Korea, Nootbaar was called up to do a “hero interview.”

To the sold-out stands, he hollered in Japanese: “Nippon daisuki! Minna arigatooooo!” (I love Japan! Thank you all!).

The fans responded with even louder cheers.

Nootbaar has always maintained a close relationship with Japan.

As a child, he used to visit the home of his mother, Kumiko, in Saitama Prefecture, at least once a year.

He has so many fond memories of these trips, such as visiting the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park at the foot of Mount Fuji, and riding the “Dodonpa,” which was once considered the world’s fastest roller coaster.

Kumiko recalled with a smile that the ride made a young Nootbaar “at a loss for words.”

Whenever he went to his grandparents’ home, he acted like a baby and said, “I don’t want to go home,” Kumiko said.

A few years ago, Nootbaar’s grandmother, Kazuko, found necklace charms at a temple where she frequents and gifted them to Nootbaar and other family members.

Nootbaar keeps wearing it while playing for the Japan team.

He said it makes him feel the close presence of his family and lifts up his spirit.

Kazuko was in the Tokyo Dome stands for the March 9 game.

“I pray my sweet grandson plays his heart out representing Japan and helps the team win,” she said.

(This article was compiled from reports by Takahiro Takizawa and Ken Murota.)

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