There is this story about Shohei Ohtani that reveals a lot about him and his passions. When it became clear at the end of 2023 that he would be leaving his current club, the Los Angeles Angels, many hoped that the Japanese would be their team’s next star player. There has been a lot of hype surrounding Ohtani since his arrival in 2018.
His jerseys are absolute box office hits, and the number 17 on the back, which has been part of his identity since his youth, is a symbol of a real star cult. Ashley Kelly, the wife of Ohtani’s current teammate Joe on the Los Angeles Dodgers, is also leaving no stone unturned. Under the hashtag #Ohtake17, she publishes videos in which she presents jerseys and merchandise with the number 17 in all sizes. The message: her husband, who currently wears the popular number, would give everything to Ohtani if he came to the Dodgers.
The campaign is a success: Ohtani signs, takes over the number 17 and thanks Ashley Kelly in a unique way: he gives her a Porsche Taycan. On December 24, 2023, Ashley Kelly posts a video in which the new sports car is handed over to her. The joy of the unexpected Christmas present is written all over her face.
One player, two positions
“When I think of cars, I think of Porsche,” says the now 30-year-old a few months later with a friendly smile. We meet him on a baseball field in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium, where he sees the new Taycan Turbo S for the first time that day. “The car is very comfortable to drive, really quiet and shows its performance on every road,” says Ohtani after his first impression. “Porsche sports cars are much more than just a means of transport. They offer experiences, are a real pleasure – I think that suits me.”
Sports star meets sports car: The new Taycan is made for Shohei Ohtani, as they share some things in common.
Like the e-sports athlete, Ohtani sets new standards in his discipline, takes up traditions and transfers them into the modern world.
Los Angeles has been his home for six years. Here he has matured into a top athlete, broken records, and now enjoys cult status. The secret lies in his game. Ohtani is the only two-way player – someone who plays two positions at once. On the one hand, he plays as a hitter: a batsman who tries to hit the ball as far as possible with a baseball bat and thus score points for his team. On the other hand, he plays as a pitcher: a thrower whose aim is to prevent opposing batsmen from hitting the ball by throwing the ball particularly hard or with a sharp angle. Ohtani’s balls reach speeds of more than 150 km/h, and his hits fly further than 150 meters. One man, two central positions – that’s a bit like the best player on a football team playing one half as a striker and the other as a goalkeeper. And at a world-class level.
As a two-way player, Ohtani plays as a pitcher (left) and as a hitter (right). Seen here in the Japanese national team jersey at the World Baseball Classic.
Ohtani’s ability makes him an absolutely exceptional player. In the MLB, a two-way player is anything but ordinary. No one has played both positions for almost 100 years. Between 1914 and 1935, it was Babe Ruth who enchanted Americans as a hitter and pitcher. He became a legend, scored 714 home runs, was one of the first players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, won seven World Series titles and was named to the All-Star team twelve times. The bar is therefore set high for Shohei Ohtani as he takes the step into the most popular baseball league in the world.
From the provinces to Hollywood
Ohtani grew up in Ōshū, in the Iwate prefecture in northern Japan. The desire to one day be a professional baseball player grew in him early on. “I saw the players on TV and dreamed of being like them,” recalls the current superstar. “Then I always waited longingly for the weekend so I could play.” Although the best baseball players in the world play in the United States, Japan is home to the second best league. The local star players usually start their careers here before moving to the MLB.
Ohtani comes from a sporty family. His mother plays badminton, his father is a semi-pro baseball player and passes his enthusiasm on to his son. Ohtani senior, who works full-time in a factory, is keen for Shohei to remain modest and concentrate on working hard rather than seeking the limelight. Nevertheless, the young Ohtani pursues ambitious goals. “My dream was my motivation,” he explains. “I subordinated everything to that.” As an 18-year-old, he wanted to start his professional career in the USA. And by 2012, several major league teams were already courting his services. But when the Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters promised him something that no team in the USA would allow, Ohtani changed his mind. The deal: if he signed, he could make full use of his abilities – as a two-way player. A first in the Japanese league, and not just as a rookie. The experiment was a complete success. In 2016, Ohtani was voted MVP – Most Valuable Player – and won the championship with the Fighters. After 1962 and 2006, it was only the third national title for the club. Then, after five seasons, the time was ripe for him to move to the MLB.
The road to superstardom
As a 23-year-old, the now highly sought-after player can choose his new employer. Ohtani decides on the Los Angeles Angels – here he wants to establish himself as a two-way player in Major League Baseball. The newcomer quickly integrates into the team and is considered friendly, modest and humorous.
The start of his adventure on baseball’s biggest stage is initially bumpy. But the Angels have great faith in Ohtani, as he has to get used to a different game. The baseball used in Japan is smaller and has a different texture. The batsmen in the USA are generally bigger and have a more powerful swing. As a hitter, Ohtani suddenly has to deal with pitchers whose balls are harder, sharper and more precise. But he improves from game to game, shows his skills and wins the “Rookie of the Year” award at the end of the season – the best newcomer of the year. Then the shooting star is stopped by injuries. Two years of forced break. Skeptics are already labeling him a one-hit wonder, but he never loses faith in himself. “Even in Japan, I had to deal with doubters again and again,” says Ohtani. “But I learned to deal with the pressure.”
And when he returned to the field after his recovery, he showed what he was capable of. Ohtani remained injury-free, established himself as a two-way player, and was named MVP in the USA at the end of the season. He was the first Japanese player to win the award unanimously. And when he won the award again unanimously in 2023, he became the first player in league history to achieve the feat more than once. In the same year, Ohtani, who had now matured into an absolute superstar, led his home country to the championship title in the World Baseball Classic, an Olympic-like competition for professional baseball players. In the final, he faced defending champions USA, and the game was a real thriller. Then, on the last throw against Angels teammate and US captain Mike Trout, Ohtani ended the game with a clever ball. Final score: 3:2 for Japan. It is the third world championship title after 2006 and 2009. After the game, Ohtani announced: “This is the best moment of my life.”
Guaranteed success: For scenes like this, the Los Angeles Dodgers offered Ohtani a record contract – the Japanese is considered a great promise for the future.
Pure enthusiasm: After Ohtani’s first home run for his new club, the fans at Dodger Stadium celebrate their popular new signing.
Historic record
At the end of 2023, Ohtani is facing another club change. The courting of the Japanese player begins again. His value to a franchise – that’s what the clubs are called in the USA – goes far beyond his performance on the field, where he already does the work of two players. When he plays for the Angels, the stadium is full of advertisements from Japanese companies that want to reach millions of fans from Ohtani’s home country in front of the television. Thousands of people with the number 17 on their jerseys flock to the arena game day after game day. Some of them know nothing about baseball, but love Ohtani anyway. The sponsorship contracts and ticket sales bring the Angels around 20 million dollars in additional income every year, according to industry estimates.
Ohtani is a promise for the future of every club. The Los Angeles Dodgers also recognize this and ultimately offer him a ten-year contract worth $700 million – the highest-paying contract in sports history at the time. This extraordinary offer and the high-profile support of Ashley Kelly ultimately lead to Ohtani hitting, throwing – and winning – for the Dodgers since April 2024.
“I want to win championships,” affirms Shohei Ohtani. “And when people look back at the titles my teams have won, they should know that I played a big part in that.” The Japanese is well on the way to making these dreams come true. He has now earned himself a promising nickname from fans and the media. They call him: the Japanese Babe Ruth.
Info
Text first published in Christophorus Magazine, Issue 412 – now available!
Autor: Jeff Fletcher
Fotos: Linhbergh Nguyen, James Law (Christophorus), Brandon Sloter (Getty Images), Ezra Shaw (Getty Images), Allen J. Schaben (Getty Images), Yuki Taguchi (Getty Images), Masterpress – SAMURAI JAPAN (Getty Images), Larry Gibson (Shutterstock)
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