Say Hey To Shohei

On what occasions have you observed one’s ability to produce extraordinary greatness?

“Ohtani causes every single person, even if you’re just a casual fan, to stop and watch baseball.That’s what we need in this sport and he’s doing it.” (Freddie Freeman) 

I normally don’t expect much when I attend a game of my local Major League Baseball team, the Miami Marlins. As an illustration, this franchise has habitually underachieved in recent years, lacks genuine pitching and hitting stars and seems ignored media wise by other winning professional sports organizations in the area like the Dolphins, Panthers, and Heat. So let’s just say a lifelong habit of being around baseball and in particular checking out celebrated heroes from any team the Marlins are currently playing  inspires me to drive long distances through dense Miami traffic to watch a Marlins game now and then. 

So late afternoon yesterday, I decided to check out the latest “buzz” surrounding Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani  during a seemingly lopsided matchup between the last place Marlins and playoff bound Los Angeles Dodgers at Loan Depot Park. As expected, the  game did end up being a “blowout”with  the Dodgers pulverizing the Marlins 20-4. But in spite of my usual  disdain for such a lopsided, road team score, it’s noteworthy that several extraordinary events surrounding Ohtani that took place before and during the game had positively refueled my long lasting  thrill for this sport.

Picture then hordes of cultish Ohtani fans huddling together around me under a sheltered cabana  hours before the contest during a torrential rainstorm. Mingling with the storm drenched crowd for at least half an hour, I noticed bands of strangers who’d traveled the length of the country excitedly praising Ohtani’s  “larger than human” game presence that night. Beyond  the stadium, the Shohei love fest amplified further as large  posters around the stadium also displayed  colorful Ohtani profiles to further captivate interest in him for this game.

So when the game began with Ohtani batting lead off, I curiously gazed  around the ballpark at attendee fans largely attired in a “sea” of Dodger Blue, erupting  in a thundering roar. To my surprise then on the second pitch, Shohei sent a towering foul that landed within five feet of me seated on a second deck seat. So it would be myself vs. a little kid of perhaps ten years as we both lunged  for that rare ball as a remembrance of that Ohtani occasion. With some regret, I then backed off and realized it would be wiser for that boy to have that prized ball from Shohei as a way to pass off my true love of baseball to the new generation.

Know then that the ensuing game action for Ohtani that took place that early evening would proceed in similarly spectacular fashion. For I’d been privileged to witness him break the all time major league records in that game of hitting his  fiftieth home run  and stealing his fiftieth  base in one season of play. In doing so then, he’d get a hit in six consecutive at bats , slug three home runs, and drive in ten runs as the Dodgers clinched the highly sought  playoff berth that night.    

Mission accomplished  Shohei Ohtani! You’ve elevated the game of Major League Baseball as an inspiring, role model hero. For you’ve given so many a glimpse of wanting to be the best at one can do.