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It’s impossible to deny that One Piece is quickly becoming a household name not just for anime fans but the world at large. Netflix’s live-action adaptation has introduced scores of new viewers to the Straw Hat Pirates and the West is receptive to the Grand Line. In recent years, many athletes have been wearing their love of One Piece and anime on their sleeves, causing announcers to attempt to break down what these stories are. Most recently, a Major League Baseball announcer attempted to talk about New York Yankee Jazz Chisholm Jr’s love of the series and made a major error in doing so.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Jazz Chisholm Jr. might be a Yankee but he definitely wants to be a Straw Hat Pirate. Earlier this year, the baseball player revealed a wild diamond-encrusted necklace that recreated one of Monkey D. Luffy’s most iconic looks in his Gear Fifth transformation. In a recent game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, MLB announcer Michael Kay tries to explain One Piecemispronouncing Luffy’s name, thanks to Jazz sporting some Grand Line cleats.
“Well, that is, um… He wears a lot of things from an anime series called One Piece. On his armband, you see Monkey D. Luffy, also known as Straw Hat Luffy. He’s the captain and founder of the Straw Hat Pirates. And protagonist of the anime and manga series One Piece. I know you were asking about this, Paul, that Monkey D. Luffy has the properties of rubber after accidentally eating one of the devil fruits.” You can check out the video of this exchange below.
[RELATED: MLB Player Reveals Ultimate One Piece Gear Fifth Jewelry]
One Piece’s MLB Crossovers
The Straw Hat Pirates have really been all over the place when it comes to Western sports leagues. The Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association had a special One Piece event that not only offered attendees unique merchandise but also created a special animated segment that saw Luffy on the court. When it comes to Major League Baseball, the Boston Red Sox have seen serious success in teaming up with Luffy and his crew, creating not one, but two special one-night events to bring in anime fans to the stadium.
MLB’s Seattle Mariners are having a One Piece night of their own, set to arrive in a few days on April 8th. While neither the Yankess nor the Diamondbacks have announced that they will team-up with the Straw Hat Pirates, it’s clear that Eiichiro Oda’s shonen franchise has become a hit for Major League Baseball. Luckily, thanks to anime’s rising popularity, we expect to see more of the Straw Hats and their anime brethren popping up in sports for years to come. Hopefully, Michael Kay will learn how to pronounce Luffy’s name before he mentions the Straw Hat captain in the future.
Want to see where the Straw Hat Pirates appear in the future of athletics? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
