The Chicago Cubs are in Japan getting ready to open the regular season against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday at the Tokyo Dome. The Cubs will play two games and then head back to the United States to resume spring training before their “domestic” opening day against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 27.

The Chicago Cubs made a lot of moves this offseason and filled a lot of holes. On paper, at least, they are a significantly better team than last year.

Seiya Suzuki remembers being in the Tokyo Dome when Hideki Matsui returned with the Yankees as part of MLB’s season-opening series in 2004. Matsui launched a mammoth home run deep into the right-field stands and a 9-year-old Suzuki was within the wild,

Suzuki, now in his fourth season with Chicago, played nine seasons with the Central League's Hiroshima Toyo Carp from 2013 to 2021. During that time, he made five NPB All-Star teams, won Central League batting titles in 2019 and 2021, and earned five Golden Glove Awards for his defense in the outfield.

Hideki Matsui crushed a long fly ball into the Tokyo Dome’s right-field stands, giving the Yankees a 5-1 lead over the Rays. And from inside the stadium, a nine-year old Seiya Suzuki watched the ball fly.