EDITORIAL | World Series Win Caps Shohei Ohtani's Amazing Year

Reflecting on this just completed Major League Baseball season, the smiling face of Shohei Ohtani comes immediately to mind. After seeing his dream of winning a World Series finally come true, Ohtani exploded with joy as he and his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates showered each other with champagne. 

Here in Japan throughout the season, many people started their day by enjoying a glimpse of Ohtani's radiant smile. Nonetheless, for Ohtani himself, it was also a year of turbulence. 

A Year of Turbulence

He underwent surgery on his right elbow in the autumn of 2023 and has had to focus on rehabilitation this season. That ended his dual role as both a pitcher and a hitter.

Desperate to be part of a September pennant run, he left the perennially low-ranking Los Angeles Angels for the much greener pastures of the powerhouse Dodgers. Moreover, in doing so he negotiated a 10-year contract worth $700 million USD (¥100 billion JPY). It is the largest athlete contract in the history of sports.

He also managed to get married during this time. The pressure must have been unimaginably great. 

Just as he began his career as a Dodger, his exclusive interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was arrested for sports gambling and fired. Some people even questioned Ohtani's own awareness of the problem. It was anything but an environment conducive to concentrating on baseball. 

And Huge Successes

Despite these complications, Ohtani hit and ran as hard and fast as he could to help his team win. As a result, he achieved an unprecedented 50-50 season, finishing with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. No player has ever had 50 or more homers and 50 or more steals in MLB's long history. He did this even while his team vied for the National League West Division title.

In a spectacular fashion, Ohtani hit the 40-40 mark with a walk-off grand slam. He then established the 50-50 club with three home runs, 10 RBIs and two stolen bases in a one-for-the-ages, 6-for-6 performance against the Miami Marlins on September 19.

Ohtani has made his mark not only by setting records. He also became a hero throughout the United States as well as in Japan. Even his beloved pet dog Dekopin (Decoy) has become a media star. 

During the second game of the World Series, Ohtani injured his left shoulder while unsuccessfully attempting to steal second base. The injury put in doubt his participation in Game 3 and the rest of the World Series. However, with a simple three-word message, "I can play," Ohtani inspired his teammates and boosted group solidarity.

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An Inspiration and Role Model

What is so special about Ohtani is that he is consistently able to keep a smile on his face, despite such intense situations. He rarely shows any signs of being perturbed. Even when he is at-bat facing a pitcher, he has a cool smile on his face. 

Ohtani sent a message to elementary schools throughout Japan in 2023, along with 20,000 baseball gloves, three for each school. In his message, he wrote: "I hope these gloves become a symbol to inspire dreams and give courage to the next generation." We've seen children smiling, happily playing catch with his gift. 

Ohtani himself is already a source of pride for the Japanese people. For children, he is also an inspiration who makes actual dreams come true. We can hardly wait to see what miracles Ohtani will perform on the field next season. 

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(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun