Minnesota Sports Forum

Are you baseball fans digging the Ohtani story as much as I am? Not only is he the starting pitcher and leadoff hitter in tonight's all-star game (think about that for a moment), he also seems to be a terrific guy. Remarkably humble and a great sense of humor. I find him very easy to cheer for. I have tickets to the Angels game a week from Thursday, and looking at the schedule, it doesn't look like he will be pitching (more likely Saturday night). It's still going to fun to watch him hit. What a great story!

He is an amazing player. Love what he is doing. It is sad he doesn't get more coverage.

bleedspeed177 wrote:He is an amazing player. Love what he is doing. It is sad he doesn't get more coverage.

I know...well, that's what you get for living in a small market town like Los Angeles. You're going to be invisible. I've always felt a similar compassion for that guy LeBron who is forced to toil in relative obscurity despite his unrecognized considerable talents ;) .

FNG wrote:Are you baseball fans digging the Ohtani story as much as I am? Not only is he the starting pitcher and leadoff hitter in tonight's all-star game (think about that for a moment), he also seems to be a terrific guy. Remarkably humble and a great sense of humor. I find him very easy to cheer for. I have tickets to the Angels game a week from Thursday, and looking at the schedule, it doesn't look like he will be pitching (more likely Saturday night). It's still going to fun to watch him hit. What a great story!

I would dig it more if he picked the Twins. Didn't it come down to the 5 CA teams, SEA, CHC and MIN?

I had not seen what he has been doing although I had seen he was doing well. 33HRs!?!?! WOW

I think there are a couple legit reasons he hasn't gotten more press.

1. The Angles haven't been a good team while he has been there. This year they are around .500 and some of that is likely his play.

2. He hasn't been healthy. It feels like in the past about when he was about to really get people excited another injury would come. I haven't followed MLB that closely so that may not be correct.

If he is a legit really good hitter and also good pitcher the press will come along with massive endorsement deals...some of the endorsement deals may also drive the press but anyway.

I did see an article headline somewhere in the last couple days (may have even been on an actual magazine!) reading something like "Ohtani isn't Babe Ruth he is better".

I had the pleasure of watching this guy live last night...very impressive looking athlete, although the Twins made him look bad with 3 K's and a ground out.

My highlight though was cracking this future HOFer up while he was in the on deck circle in the first inning. We were sitting very close to the field, and I had memorized a phrase in Japanese off the internet. The crowd got quiet and I yelled out "Hey Ohtani...masu wa dokodesu ka?". His head jerked around toward me at the sound of his native language, and he was laughing as he pointed toward the dugout. The translation? "Where's Trout?", with trout of course being the fish rather than his teammate's name!

FNG wrote:

My highlight though was cracking this future HOFer up while he was in the on deck circle in the first inning. We were sitting very close to the field, and I had memorized a phrase in Japanese off the internet. The crowd got quiet and I yelled out "Hey Ohtani...masu wa dokodesu ka?". His head jerked around toward me at the sound of his native language, and he was laughing as he pointed toward the dugout. The translation? "Where's Trout?", with trout of course being the fish rather than his teammate's name!

That is classic.

bleedspeed177 wrote:

FNG wrote:

My highlight though was cracking this future HOFer up while he was in the on deck circle in the first inning. We were sitting very close to the field, and I had memorized a phrase in Japanese off the internet. The crowd got quiet and I yelled out "Hey Ohtani...masu wa dokodesu ka?". His head jerked around toward me at the sound of his native language, and he was laughing as he pointed toward the dugout. The translation? "Where's Trout?", with trout of course being the fish rather than his teammate's name!

That is classic.

That's a fun story!

Years ago when my uncle traveled and various places had him sign a guestbook he would sign his name in Japanese because he learned how at some point and I think he just found it amusing. He might have also enjoyed the fact that it was unlikely anyone was going to be contacting him. Lol