You may not follow Major League Baseball (MLB), but you have undoubtedly heard about Shohei Ohtani in recent days.
Who is he?
Ohtani is a professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the LA Dodgers. This relatively rare combination is called a two-way player.
Shohei hails from Japan, where his 6’4” frame towers over the average 5’9” otoko (“man” in Japanese). Now 30 years-old, he was born in Mizusawa, which has become part of Oshu City. Both parents were amateur athletes – his mother played badminton and his father baseball. Neither came from money.
“Oh” means big or large, while “Tani” means valley. “Sho” means to fly (soar) as in a bird with its wings spread out, while “Hei” means to be level, in the sense of being peaceful. What a perfect description of Shohei Ohtani.
After developing his incredible talent in Japan, Ohtani moved stateside in 2018, playing for the LA Angels, before joining the Dodgers this year.
The Angels dished out a mere $545,000 to lure him across the ocean, added $150,000 to the pot in his 2nd year and a further $50,000 in his 3rd year. His salary increased 6-fold in his 4th year, then a further 7-fold in 2023, topping out at $30 million. He signed a never-before-seen $700 million 10-year deal with the LA Dodgers, moving to a stadium only 32 miles away in 2024. Max Scherzer (aka Mad Max) and Justin “JV” Verlander are the next highest paid MLB players (tied), earning a paltry $43 million each per year (60% less than Ohtani).
So, what’s all the fuss about Ohtani?
First, his tremendous recent accomplishment:
While still recovering from UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) surgery, Ohtani scored 50 home runs and stole 50 bases this year, which no person has ever done. Now, he has already broken that record, and the season is still far from over.
After a mad frenzy, one lucky as yet unidentified fan made the best catch of his life from the Miami LoanDepot Park stands. Some say the history-making ball is worth $500,000 or more … possibly even millions.
Second, to his adoring fandom’s chagrin, he secretly married:
Taking the world by complete surprise, he announced his marriage without revealing the identity of his new wife who, it turns out, is former Japanese professional basketball player Mamiko Tanaka. BTW, she is also tall – 5’11”, so any offspring are likely to be tall and sports-focused as well.
Third, unbeknownst to Ohtani, his interpreter was up to nefarious deeds:
Despite earning $300-$500,000 per year, Ippei Mizuhara stole almost $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account to support his gambling addiction. Both Ohtani’s PR team and MLB handled the matter appropriately, and the unfortunate scandal has died down.
And, lastly, Ohtani’s loveable pet has also become a star:
Ohtani’s dog, “Dekopin” (in Japanese) or “Decoy”, is a Dutch Kooikerhondje.
The breed is described as lively, agile, self-confident, good-natured and alert. It is faithful, easy-going and friendly, keen, swift, tough, attentive and energetic. Sounds like a great choice to me.
There is much more to come from this man. I can hardly wait to see the future. Let’s hope his Japanese sensibilities stay with him. Especially as the U.S. enters the final weeks before the upcoming election, modesty, humility and civility are traits we can all aspire to practice every day.
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