The Untold Challenges of Shohei Ohtani in MLB

<Domanmaru Kagetora and the Page's Nonsense 0260> episode 260, season 3

(The Reiwa Travelogue of a Tensho Warring States Page)

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Kasugayama Castle, Narumi Shogunate (established in 1587)

Lord: Uesugi Domanmaru Kagetora

Travelogue and Nonsense Review: Page Nishina Genta

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◆Tensho 452, September 23

"The Untold Challenges of Shohei Ohtani in MLB"

In MLB, attention is focused on individual records just before the postseason, but in 2024, after hybrid surgery on his right elbow, it was expected that he would play conservatively, but he has been accumulating good records despite his rehabilitation. Even if it's difficult to win the triple crown in the National League, he should be able to win the double crown of home runs and RBIs. In the Japanese and American media, there is a movement to highlight Ohtani's presence at all costs. I don't understand 50+50 at all. It doesn't seem to be about marriage between people in their fifties, the ratio of the shares of a fallen warrior, the outcome of a battle, or the ratio of the shares of a former lord in a middle-aged divorce. In MLB, it cannot be denied that the designated hitter DH, a measure to extend batting records, does not have to play defense, which seems unfair at first glance. It should have been traditional common sense for anyone to believe that records that combine defense and batting are the only legitimate ones. In recent years, MLB has fallen from the top leader of the four major sports in North America to probably about fourth place in terms of popularity. If MLB doesn't promote players who are the talk of the town at any given time, it will not be able to go any further. There is also a problem with the nature of MLB, which has had to make various rule changes and get gambling companies as sponsors in order to regain its popularity. Such a background is behind the rapid increase in pitcher injuries and the number of players on the disabled list. The dramatic increase in Otani's successful stealing is probably due to the rule change regarding pickoffs. (Comparing his record to Ichiro's record under the old rules is a bit off the mark. The media is busy creating topics, but the drawbacks of frequent rule changes in MLB should also be discussed.) His home runs are simply amazing, but he struck out too many times (Ichiro kept his strikeout rate to double digits). It would be a historic achievement to win the Triple Crown as a .300 hitter, but it is unclear whether he will be able to reach the great records of Bonds' 73 home runs in a season, Nicole's 138 stolen bases, Wilson's 191 RBIs, and his highest batting average of .440, but if he insists on playing two-way, his power will be dispersed and it will be very difficult. Ichiro's 262 hits in a season is a historic achievement, and his 200 hits for 10 consecutive years is something that even Pete Rose could not achieve. Ichiro, who has cleared the conditions for induction into the MLB Hall of Fame of more than 10 years in the major leagues and more than 5 years since retirement, will be selected in 2025, and even if he does not receive a unanimous vote, it is highly likely that he will be selected. Even if Otani retires on a 10-year contract with the Dodgers, he will finally clear the conditions for induction into the Hall of Fame in 15 years from now, but as we can see from Trout, once you pass your mid-thirties, your body will inevitably start to wear out. Ichiro has achieved many great feats for 10 consecutive years since he was 30 years old. The media's strategy of promoting Otani may be a temporary measure, but he must first pass the hurdles of the orthodox triple crown, home run king, RBI king, and stolen base king. 2024 is supposed to be a rehabilitation year, but there is a lot of talk about the expectation of a big explosion, but the worry is that in 2025, the backlash may cause his right elbow to deteriorate and he may fall into extreme slump. Otani, please be careful about your health. Once the season is over, I expect that the off-field incident in March 2024 will be a hot topic again. It is still unclear why Mizuhara-dono retracted his previous statement overnight, and many experts would like to know how aware Otani-dono was of the situation. Even after the legal proceedings, Mizuhara-dono is driving around in a luxury foreign car and it is hard to imagine that he is struggling to make a living. I do not know the content of the plea bargain, but it cannot be denied that there has been interaction with MLB, the team, agents, the sponsorship industry, etc. The parties involved should make the matter clear. Otherwise, I believe that Otani fans, anti-Otani fans, and general sports fans will not be satisfied. A night of suspicion cannot be dispelled so easily.

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