'Japanese Babe Ruth' has eventful MLB spring training debut
Saturday marked the spring training debut of the LA Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, who is attempting to become the first two-way player since Babe Ruth nearly 100 years ago.
Ohtani only took the mound and threw just 31 pitches, and though he showed flashes of what made him such a sought-after player, he also reminded everyone that he is still just a rookie.
Pitching to a split-squad Milwaukee Brewers team, Ohtani struck out two batters in 1.1 innings pitched. But he also allowed two hit and two runs (one earned), including a home run to Keon Broxton that had some Angels fans thinking Uh-Ohtani.
.@KeonDDBroxton tied this one up with the first #CactusCrew HR in the 2nd. #MILatLAA pic.twitter.com/GXNOeINOky
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) February 24, 2018
Besides the longball, Ohtani also struggled to command his pitches and deceive batters. He walked one, threw a wild pitch that led to a run and tossed first-pitch balls to five of the seven hitters he faced. Of the 31 pitches Ohtani threw, the Brewers swung and missed at only two.
But there was some good for the three-time NPB All-Star. He topped out at 97 mph on his fastball and employed all of his secondary pitches. He got his last man out and could have continued pitching had he not reached the team’s predetermined pitch count.
One thing Ohtani will have to adjust to is sitting in the dugout while his team is at bat. In Japan, he could play catch in front of the dugout during the game, but he won’t be able to do that in the MLB.
He admitted he got cold while waiting for his next trip to the mound and it showed as Broxton’s home run led off the second inning.
“My body was getting cold … I had to struggle at start of second inning, so that was a good learning experience for me,” he said through a translator, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Overall, Ohtani was pleased with his performance, considering both the nerves of playing in a new league and his rustiness, as he threw just 25.1 innings last season.
“Besides the results, I had a lot of fun out there,” Ohtani said. “So I think it went well.”
As expected, there was a media presence that looked more like a World Series game than a spring training contest. There were nearly 100 media members in attendance and so many reporters that there was an overflow press box area on a beer garden patio.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Jose Mota, the Angels broadcaster in his 17th season. “Globally, there has never been as much attention on an Angels camp as today.”
As for the hitting aspect of Ohtani’s game, the Angels have said that he will not be in the lineup the day before he pitches or the day after he pitches. But he will be available to pinch-hit or pinch-run on any day in which he does not take the mound.
The Angels will utilize a six-man rotation to keep Ohtani fresh for both the mound and the batter’s box. The club will use him as a designated hitter from time to time, but the team’s general manager said he doesn’t anticipate Ohtani playing in the outfield as he did in Japan.
Ohtani is expected to get his first shot as a hitter in the coming days, and his teammates can’t wait to see what he offers at the plate.
“Every time I’ve seen him hit, the ball goes about 450 feet,” new third baseman Zack Cozart said.
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