'Me and you are enemies': Vlad, Okamoto's friendship on hold for Classic

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The budding friendship between Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto has been put on hold.

The moment Guerrero rolls out of Dunedin Saturday night and heads to Miami, where he’ll join his Dominican teammates to prepare for the World Baseball Classic, Okamoto isn’t his Blue Jays teammate, he’s the third baseman for Samurai Japan.

“I told him two days ago, ‘After Saturday, me and you are enemies,’” Guerrero said on Sportsnet’s broadcast Saturday, grinning while his teammates pelted him with sunflower seeds.

The two have been by one another’s side for weeks in Blue Jays camp, hitting in the same BP groups and spending extra time working on defensive drills together, where Guerrero’s leadership has really shined.

“He’s been teaching me a little bit of Japanese, but that’s tough, man,” Guerrero said. “He knows [some] Spanish. Every time that he talks to me, it’s in Spanish, so I’m glad he can speak a little bit of Spanish.”

They already have their own handshake, ending in a bow, but these are also two men taking the World Baseball Classic very, very seriously. The WBC’s profile has risen in every country, but in the Dominican Republic and Japan, where baseball is king, this is a matter of national pride.

Joining the broadcast, Guerrero proudly wore a dazzling chain with a “D.R.” pendant. He had the chain made for the 2023 WBC, but he had to pull out of that year’s event when he dealt with some right knee discomfort midway through camp. That’s eaten at Guerrero, who is so proud of his home and what the Guerrero name has grown to represent there.

“I’m super excited. My dad never went to one. I just want to see his reaction when he sees me with that uniform on,” Guerrero said. “I can’t wait to fly to be with the team in Miami.”

You can start and end your day with Okamoto and Guerrero on March 6. Japan plays Chinese Taipei at 5 a.m. ET that morning, then the Dominican Republic faces Nicaragua that night at 7 p.m. ET.