Shohei Ohtani's batting practice is a show of its own at the Tokyo Dome

This is the Shohei Ohtani effect. Lia Chan and her husband How and other family members flew in from Singapore — about a seven-hour flight to Tokyo — just to watch Ohtani play in the World Baseball Classic. “And baseball is not even popular in Singapore,” said Lia, who was seated a few rows behind home plate.

By STEPHEN WADE