Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani waves to fans after becoming MLB's first 50/50 man in a historic game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Miami.
Photo Credit: AP/Wilfredo Lee
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With nine games left in the season, Shohei Ohtani has ascended to the top of the mountain, having gone where no one has ever gone before in becoming MLB’s first player to crack 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
In Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani surpassed 50 home runs for the season.
Quite an accomplishment.
Shohei seems to do everything in a big, grand fashion, starting before the season even began, when he signed a monster contract, a whopping 10-year $700 million contract to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yesterday was no exception. Shohei went large again.
The Dodgers leadoff hitter went to the plate six times, and came away with six hits, including three home runs and two steals with 10 RBIs. In doing so, he became the first player with three home runs and two stolen bases in a game since at least 1900 and the first player since RBIs became official in 1920 with 10 RBIs and five extra-base hits in a game.
The reaction to yesterday’s fireworks was, deservingly so, simply overwhelming.
If you spent any time on social media on Thursday, the feeds on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), among others, was filled with short videos of Ohtani’s majestic blasts.
And to sweeten the pot even more, not only was history made, but the Dodgers clinched a playoff spot, becoming the fourth team to clinch a spot for the 2024 postseason, following a 20-4 pounding of the Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Fla.
2024 will be the 12th consecutive year the Dodgers have advanced to the playoffs; but it will be Ohtani’s first trip to the playoffs, after seven full seasons in MLB.
Ever since belting his first career home run against Josh Tomlin of the Cleveland Indians on April 3, 2018, as a member of the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani has lived up to his grand billing since arriving from Japan.
He now, age 30, has accumulated 222 home runs, 857 hits, and 557 RBI’s since entering the league in 2018.
Not only was history made in Miami on Thursday, but the Japan native additionally became the all-time Dodger single-season record holder in home runs, passing Shawn Green’s club record of 49, set in 2001.
Previously in 2024, Ohtani became only the 6th player in MLB history to have a 40/40 year.
The others are: José Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023).
What’s interesting about the list, is that three of those six players have been accused of using performance enhancing drugs. The tainted list of players doesn’t include Shohei Ohtani.
When you stop and ponder the accomplishment of hitting 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases in the same season, it's no wonder that former Dodgers player, Justin Turner, once described Shohei as a “once in a lifetime player.”
Given his unique ability to both pitch and hit so superbly, many describe Ohtani as the "Japanese Babe Ruth;" a Reuters article once described him as, a "Nito-ryu," or two-sword samurai
Over in Japan, the celebration for Ohtani becoming a 50/50 man has been deafening.
According to journalist and infographics designer, Satoshi Toyoshima, “Ohtani’s hometown of Oshu City in Iwate Prefecture hung a banner celebrating 50/50 at its city hall. “
In addition, Japan’s national newspapers issued special editions and handed them out on the streets to ecstatic bystanders.
In 2021, Stephen A. Smith, an ESPN host, apologized after saying that Los Angeles Angels pitching and hitting sensation Shohei Ohtani's use of translators negatively impacts Major League Baseball's popularity.
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As euphoric as the reaction has been to Ohtani standing alone as the sole member of the 50/50 club, I detect, at times, some animosity here in the United States to his many clouts this year as a member of the Dodgers.
So, I wondered if the whiff of animosity I’m detecting toward him is because he’s from a big market team or because he’s Japanese?
Ohtani was involved with a scandal early in the season when Ippei Mizuhara, his longtime friend and interpreter was found to have made $4.5 million in wire transfers from the slugger’s account to cover mounting gambling debts.
After a thorough investigation, it was determined, the Japanese superstar didn’t have any prior knowledge of the wire transfers to bookmakers and was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Still, I strongly contend many baseball fans are using the scandal Ohtani was involved with as a convenient excuse not to join in the celebration of his accomplishments, like they would the Derek Jeter’s or Cal Ripken Jr’s of baseball.
Hiroshi Kitamura, Director of International Relations at William & Mary disagrees with me.
“I believe that Shohei Ohtani’s quest for 50/50 was embraced widely,” Kitamura said. “If,” Kitamura continued, “there is less enthusiasm towards him than to Cal Ripken or Derek Jeter, that, I think, is because the bases have become bigger and the pitch clock rule has made it easier to steal bases than in the past.”
Kitamura additionally isn’t detecting an anti-Asian animosity.
“In particular,” Kitamura thinks quite the contrary, “the physical strength he displays, day in and day out, is breaking stereotypes of Asian men and is inspiring new groups of fans.”
Leslie Heaphy, professor of sports history at Kent State at Stark, thinks Ohtani is still suffering from the gambling scandal. “For many,” Heaphy thinks, “just the association is enough to view the player with suspicion. I also think people like homerun records more than stolen bases so that may impact some of the lack of attention as well.”
Whether there are pro-Ohtani or anti-Ohtani forces afoot, Steven Wisensale, professor (emeritus) of public policy at the University of Connecticut (UCONN), thinks we should celebrate and appreciate this unique and unprecedented moment in baseball history.
Wisensale believes this is “a huge milestone and one that no one ever dreamed about previously. I will put it up there with Ripken’s streak, Williams’ .406 and DiMaggio’s 56. If he hits the 50/50 mark, I see no one breaking that unless his name is Shohei Ohtani.”
“For people who know baseball and understand the skills that are needed to succeed, such as reaching the 50/50 milestone”, Wisensale argued, “they will honor that player, regardless of his race or ethnicity.”
Despite the gambling incident now in the rear-view mirror, the scandal appears to have left some scar tissue, at least with some fans.
“I believe his gambling scandal that started the year has taken some charm off of Ohtani with fans; I don't think it matters with him not being from the United States,” Andy Billman, professor of film and media studies at the University of New Haven told me. “Ichiro Suzuki,” Billman pointed out, “is proof when he went off years ago in Seattle and was very popular. Also, in today's viewing capacity for sports, I believe the Dodgers being on the West Coast hurts him more.”
But there are some, albeit a minority, who detect whiffs of hostility to foreigners as a reason for not fully embracing Ohtani’s historic milestone.
Rob Ruck, professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh agrees with me that “some of the animosity is because he's from a foreign country at a time when MAGA ("Make America Great Again") has ramped up nativism to an outrageous level.”
Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, thinks Ohtani “wants to be the best player that’s ever played this game.”
It sure will be fun for all baseball fans, fun for the United States, fun for Japan, and fun for the youth of both countries over the next few years to see if the Ōshū, Iwate, Japan native lives up to such top billing.
--Bill Lucey
[email protected]
September 20, 2024
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Ohtani: Feats, Facts, & Historic Firsts
• Ohtani was the first Japanese player to hit for the cycle in the major leagues, something he never accomplished in five years in Japan.
• He's been clocked as fast as 3.80 seconds from home to first.
• On July 13, 2021, became the first player elected to the all-star game as both a player and pitcher.
• Closed out the 2023 World Baseball Classic by striking out Mike Trout. He won the tournament MVP.
• July 13, 2024, became the first Japanese player to hit 200 home runs.
• With an all-star HR in 2024, became the first player to hit a HR and get the win in an all-star game.
• Only two other players in MLB history (Barry Bonds and Brady Anderson) hit both 50 home runs and stolen 50 bases in any season of their careers. Ohtani accomplished both in the same season.
• When Shohei was 17-years old in Japan, he threw a remarkable 99 miles per hour.
• Ohtani was courted by all 30 MLB teams before reaching agreement with the Los Angeles Angels in December, 2017.
• Ohtani is 6-foot-4, and weighs 215 pounds.
Bill, thank you for the lush file on Ohtani.
He is truly one of a kind.
I was around Ichiro when he joined Seattle....got a nice introduction from an American translator....and Ichiro rewarded with a nice smile (and I heard some of his dugout English....very impressive!)
Thank you for reprinting the note from Stephen A Smith. He's a homey from Queens...and I don't listen to him much...but I like him, and I was impressed with his apology.
best, GV
Posted by: George Vecsey | 09/21/2024 at 11:27 AM