[ad_1]
DENVER – The world’s best baseball players gathered in Denver on Monday to offer their expert and impressed take on Shohei Ohtani.
Oh, they also answered questions about their own exploits, of course, how honored it was to be named to a first, fifth, or eighth All-Star team. They chose tacos or tamales, weighed in on what it means to ‘beat around’ (my vote: nine appearances on a plate in one round). But whether it’s teammates, regular rivals, or seeing him in person for the first time at Coors Field this week, everyone has been asked about the living legend among them.
“Where is he now? Wherever the big crowd is,” joked defending AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber during the Mad Rush of Media Day.
But Ohtani was not among the other All-Star players. After he was voted into the game as a fan-designated hitter, players also picked him to be an All-Star pitcher. Careful coordination between Rays manager Kevin Cash, who will manage the AL team, and Angels manager Joe Maddon, along with MLB’s willingness to bend the rules meant that Ohtani would be the American League’s first pitcher. Oh, and appears as the # 1 seed in the Home Run Derby.
All-Star starters are not subject to the media day scrums – instead, they appear alongside their one-day manager on a dais. In a crisp white shirt with just the top button undone, Ohtani objected. He didn’t even expect to be chosen as a pitcher. A Japanese journalist told him that the country, still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, wakes up every morning to check its statistics from the day before.
“It gives a lot of energy to everyone in Japan,” she said, according to Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Ohtani again opposed, advising his compatriots to profit from the exploits of the eight participants in the Home Run Derby.
But don’t confuse Ohtani’s humility with forgetting his status in a sport that needs him at least as much as he needs him.
“I expect to be pretty tired and exhausted after these two days,” Ohtani said, hours before repeatedly swinging for the fences in the thin 90-degree air of Denver. “But there are a lot of people who want to watch it. And I wanna make these guys happy, so that’s what I’m gonna do.
Shohei Ohtani is the star of the All-Stars
On the same day Ohtani received the loudest standing ovation in derby presentations, Stephen A. Smith went on television to say that the man most often compared to Babe Ruth was an unfit face for the game because he is not an anglophone. Smith then retracted those comments, but make no mistake: the ESPN chyron ran under this exposed xenophobia and asked if it was “good for MLB” that Ohtani was as tall as him.
“I’m impressed with what this guy is doing. It’s really good for the game, ”said Kris Bryant of the Cubs. “And I’m sure he makes his country very proud too.”
Bryant put Ohtani on his Mount Rushmore of active baseball players. Phillies starter Zack Wheeler chose him as the face of baseball. Ray catcher Mike Zunino did too. It’s either him or Fernando Tatis Jr., according to reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman.
“It’s Aaron [Judge] right? “said Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, loyal to the stripes.” It must be AJ.
“Or Shohei.”
And if you really want to know what’s cool, ask Gen Z.
2021 Draft No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis, Red Sox top pick Marcelo Mayer and Giants second-round pick Matt Mikulski all agree: The current face of baseball is Shohei Ohtani.
“I feel like he’s already locked the MVP, no offense to anyone else,” said Trea Turner of the Nationals.
“I have a few questions for him about hitting tonight,” Judge said. “I watch his mechanics, they are perfect.
“Is he still leading the league in treble too?” Zunino asked. And yes, it does. His 33 homers lead not only to the AL, but to all of baseball.
“Oh, but he’s also one of the best pitchers in baseball,” said Bryant.
So, is it any wonder that the fanfare, myth-building, hype and hype is unmatched?
“No,” said Craig Kimbrel, closest to the Cubs, who has the most All-Star experience in Denver this week. He would know. “But there has never been anyone to do what he does, and rightly so.”
A show all by itself
Ohtani didn’t win the 2021 Home Run Derby. Pete Alonso could just as easily have been genetically engineered to do two things: win home run derbies and have fun doing it. The fact that he also plays baseball (which he’s paid less for this season than he did in a single night of direct vibes through the Denver derby) is only incidental.
But my boy, Ohtani did he put a Sho.
The calmest of a crowded Coors Field Monday night was when Ohtani started slowly in the first round against the Nationals’ Juan Soto, hitting potential doubles on the line instead of moon shots. He doubled over, looking more upset than defeated. It just set the stage for a comeback. He tied Soto up with a late push that seemed scripted. They equalized again in a tie-break. Brought him to a three-swing decider where Soto’s unprecedented plate discipline put in a perfect three-run before Ohtani could even return to plate.
If you try, you could almost convince yourself that he made his first throw on the ground on purpose, maybe not really expecting it. this fatigue level. Or maybe he just got gassed – a long day of living like the Beatles of baseball will do to a guy who has at least two whole countries hooked on each of his shots. And so, his derby dreams ended with a first round that could have been the most memorable action of the whole night.
Afterwards he said it was fun, but more tiring than the regular season. For now, he would just try to get a lot of sleep.
“As much as I can sleep,” Ohtani said through his interpreter.
He will need it. It starts and tops the All-Star Game in just a few hours.
More from Yahoo Sports:
[ad_2]
Source link