The Dominican Republic moved to 2-0 in pool play at the World Baseball Classic. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had another solid game. He had an RBI single in the first inning, and then Guerrero hit a monster home run in the third inning. This helped the Dominican defeat the Netherlands 12-1 in seven innings.
The story after the game was not only the dominating victory, but the shirt that Guerrero chose to wear when speaking to the media, according to a video posted by MasterFlip on X, formerly Twitter.
“Is that a message to Japan? Your shirt says Nakamoto,” a reporter asked Guerrero. Juan Soto then leaned in a wispered something to Vladdy, before Guerrero answered.
“This has nothing to do with Japan, this is just a shirt, and those who know about brands, know,” Guerrero said.
The shirt said Satoshi Nakamoto. Nakamoto is a pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, and multiple clothing companies have apparel dedicated to the brand. One of the brands with such shirts is Mannahatta New York, which has multiple products ranging from $300 to over $3500.
Still, the question to Guerrero is fair. At a previous press conference with Soto, Guerrero, and Fernando Tatis Jr., as soon as Soto sat down, he removed the Oi Ocha drink bottles sitting in front of him. Oi Ocha is a top-selling green tea brand in Japan that has a sponsorship with Shohei Ohtani.
The Dominican Republic and Japan are in different pools at the World Baseball Classic. Japan currently leads Pool C at 3-0. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic is tied for the best mark in Pool D at 2-0. If the Dominican Republic finishes in second place in Pool D, they will face Japan in Miami on March 14 in the quarterfinal. If they win the group, the two would not face until the finals, if both teams make it that far.
The Dominican Republic plays its next game on Wednesday against Venezuela.
