Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is a superstar in world baseball. On the day he advanced to the World Series for the first time in seven years since his Major League debut, he tried to interpret his success as the “success of Japanese baseball,” avoiding his intention by displaying outstanding repression ability.
Ohtani came out as the first designated hitter in Game 6 of the Championship Series against the New York Mets in the “2024 Major League Postseason” at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on the 21st (Korea time) and played two hits, one walk, and one RBI from four times at bat. The Dodgers beat the Mets 10-5 to advance to the World Series with four wins and two losses overall. Ohtani made it to the World Series for the first time in seven years in the Major League.
In his first postseason in the major leagues, Ohtani recorded a batting average of 0.286 and an OPS of 0.934 while recording the true record of “no hit in 22 consecutive at-bats when there was no runner.”
“I feel like I’m finally here,” Ohtani said after the game. “There have been a lot of tough games so far, but there have been a lot of great games that were captured by everyone,” he said, thanking his teammates.
Asked why he enjoys playing in the playoffs, he said, “I’m happy just to be able to play here. As I have said many times, only a few teams and players can play until October. I feel blessed at that point (to advance to the postseason). I feel grateful to be able to play (in the postseason). Of course, I think the results will always follow, but there are good and bad times (in the process). Still, I think being able to play in itself is incredible.”
In the middle of the press conference, there was a question that seemed a little far from the theme of Ohtani and the Dodgers advancing to the World Series.
The question was, “The San Diego Padres have Yu Darvish and Yuki Matsui, and the Mets have Godai Senga. The confrontation between Japanese players is showing a high level of reality (of Japanese baseball).”
Since there was a Japanese player on the team that advanced to the Major League postseason, there was room for interpretation as a kind of “set answer” question, meaning that the world-class level of Japanese baseball has been proven.
However, Ohtani was not a person who passed away when asked such questions. “Not only Japanese players but also many Latinos are active. There are many things to consider in the play of players from such countries. I am learning in a high-quality league every day.” He accurately grasped the intention of the question and answered in an undesired direction.
Coincidentally, the previous question was about Tommy Edman, the “Korean national team” who won the MVP award in the championship series. “Just like Edman won the MVP award, can anyone be named the MVP?” Ohtani said, “Edman is the MVP. Not only this series but also from the middle of the season, he did important things regardless of the number of records. I think Edman is a great player. When someone was sluggish, other players covered him a lot. That’s why I think there were many good games this season.” 토토사이트
There were also questions about a unique contract that received only $2 million annually until 2033, even if it signed a 10-year, $700 million contract. Ohtani signed a deferred payment contract that received $2 million in annual salary for 10 years starting this year and the remaining $680 million in the next 10 years.
With this liquidity, the Dodgers were able to further strengthen their power and form a World Series-class roster. Ohtani was also able to sign a 12-year, $325 million contract with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. On the other hand, there were criticisms that the unprecedented terms of the payment grace period devastated the market.
Ohtani was asked, “We have made a contract to help our team become stronger. How happy we are to advance to the World Series.” Ohtani said, “My goal was to advance to the World Series. We all did our part and came this far. I think it will be the best season if we play our own baseball in the last series.”
The Dodgers play against the New York Yankees in the World Series. The Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in the 10th inning to reach the World Series for the first time in 15 years on Tuesday at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
It is the 12th time that the Dodgers and Yankees will face each other in the World Series since 1981, and the first time since 1981. In 1981, the Dodgers won the title with four wins and two losses. In the past 11 World Series, the Yankees had the upper hand with eight wins. The 2024 World Series will be held at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers’ home stadium, from Saturday after a three-day break.