baseball

One of a kind: Ohtani wins AP Male Athlete of Year award

14 Comments
By GREG BEACHAM

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14 Comments
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Well deserved. He is a phenomenal athlete!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Even people that are not interested in baseball know about him, the recognition is deserved.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

He may very well go down as not only the greatest Japanese player but the greatest player in baseball history period. And the kid seems so modest despite his tremendous success.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Congratulations!” to Shohei Ohtani, a consistently confident-yet-ever-humble sportsman, accomplished athlete and ‘true’ role model for the World’s youth. Wishing Ohtani all the best in his future endeavors on the field.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I know the days of the 20-game winner are gone but in the old days 15-17 wins was considered highly successful for a starter. And a lot of pitchers reached that plateau within a season. So admittedly as an old guy when I see nine wins I think ‘meh.’

How many starting pitchers do you know hit 46 home runs in a single season?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Congratulations to the world's best baseball player, and sportsman of the year!

At only 27, Ohtani still has at least 10 years at the top. He will almost certainly retire as the GOAT of world baseball, surpassing Babe Ruth.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Of course, Ohtani can now ‘take the throne’ as Japan’s world-renowned, sports idol, and eclipse the increasing-in-frequency ‘unsportspersonlike’ behavior of the ‘flash in the pan’ that was 2020’s Olympic ‘fizzle’:

https://soranews24.com/2020/12/31/naomi-osaka-is-first-ever-japanese-athlete-named-ap-female-athlete-of-the-year/amp/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/world/asia/naomi-osaka-olympics-loss.html - penned by: Motoko Rich, Tokyo bureau chief for The NY Times, covers Japanese politics, society, gender, the arts, as well as news & features on the Korean peninsula

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2021/09/03/defending-champion-naomi-osaka-loses-in-third-round-at-us-open-after-tossing-racquet-in-frustration/amp/

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I'm a big fan, so Mrs. Affist just presented me with a Shohei Ohtani 2021 MVP beach towel. It's good we're in Japan, because I understand that MLB has shut down the souvenirs during the lockout, under some rule where the clubs are not allowed to profit off of the players' likeness or image during the labor dispute.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The second coming of Babe Ruth. He is that good. One of the best ever to take the field.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not denying his hitting capabilities

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Fact is, the Angels sucked last year. Nine wins might not be anything to brag about, but it did lead the team. Unfortunately Ohtani was a frequent victim of poor run support or poor relief pitching. But that’s part of the game. ERA gives a more accurate account of a pitchers value than his win-loss record. And his 3.18 ERA was outstanding. A player who leads the team in most offensive and pitching categories is nothing short of amazing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Also, longevity in a Hall of Fame career is important. Can he do it over 10-15 seasons? We’ll see.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I know this comment will annoy many but here goes. His record as a pitcher of 9-2 may indeed rank him among the best AL pitchers. The game of baseball has indeed changed a lot over the years. When I was in my youth for a starting pitcher to be considered successful you needed well more than 10 wins. I know the days of the 20-game winner are gone but in the old days 15-17 wins was considered highly successful for a starter. And a lot of pitchers reached that plateau within a season. So admittedly as an old guy when I see nine wins I think ‘meh.’

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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