On March 23, 2023, Korean media “MBC” (WEB version) published a feature article on pitcher Shohei Otani (Angels, 28), praising Otani’s personality.
Otani participated in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) as a member of the Japanese national team, and contributed to Japan’s third victory for the first time in three tournaments with his two-sword fighting performance. Ohtani’s success seems to be a hot topic in South Korea, and the media presented several episodes to Ohtani’s fans in South Korea.
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Shohei Ohtani (photo by editorial department)
“Litter picking” was a hot topic at the All-Star game
Both of Otani’s parents are former athletes who have inherited “excellent DNA”, and he explained that he has attracted the attention of major league teams since he was at Hanamaki Higashi High School. On the other hand, when he was in high school, he was able to study as well as baseball, and he was a sincere student who worked hard and earned good grades.
He touched the goal achievement sheet (mandala chart) he created when he was in his first year of high school, and explained that “Otani picks up the broken bat during the game.”
In fact, he was seen picking up a broken bat in a game against the Red Sox on July 7, 2001. In the second inning, Mound Ohtani’s pitch broke the bat of infielder Christian Arroyo (27). The debris flew to the front of the shortstop, and Ohtani picked it up and handed it to Arroyo toward first base. The official MLB Twitter account posted a video of the scene, which was praised by baseball fans in the United States.
At the Major League All-Star game held on July 14, 2009, the topic of “picking up trash” before the game became a hot topic. After I finished pitching practice in the bullpen and went to the bench, I took off the glove and picked up the garbage that had fallen on the ground and put it in my butt pocket. This pattern was broadcast on TV and became a big topic on SNS.
An MBC article reported on Otani’s play in the WBC, and evaluated that he defeated the US major league team in the finals and led Japan to the championship with a comic-like performance.
