Show Me Shohei O(h)tani

[ashie62]

He received platelet rich plasma injections in November . Common in Japan.

This procedure saved the asses of Chris Sale and Mashiro Tanaka.

Scary stuff for a 23 year old in a new country. Can I say maybe the kid is "overrated."?

We shall see. Glad for his sake he is on the west coast. I kinda think he may not be mature enough to adapt to everyday life in the northeast.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Man, for the $20M posting fee, the scant signing bonus, and league minimum salary, I'd still take this dude in a split second.

[Frayed Knot]

Ohtani's ST stats:
- batting: 2 for 24, both singles, with 9 Ks
- pitching:2.2 IP, 9 R (8 ER) on 9 Hits and 2 BBs (5 K)


Yeah it's ST and it's small sample, but it's also quite possible he starts out the season in the minors.

[seawolf17]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ohtani's ST stats: - batting: 2 for 24, both singles, with 9 Ks - pitching:2.2 IP, 9 R (8 ER) on 9 Hits and 2 BBs (5 K) Yeah it's ST and it's small sample, but it's also quite possible he starts out the season in the minors.

Could you imagine if he was in PSL with those stats? People would be going bananas.

[Edgy MD]

That's a helluva thought.

Hitting like Tebow, pitching like Griffin, all in one!

[Edgy MD]

Ohtani picked up a hit on the first pitch he saw.

Finished 1-5 as a DH, but we'll see what's really going on when he starts on the mound Sunday against Oakland.

[Frayed Knot]

3R HR in his 2nd inning of work. And, no, he's not in the lineup on the occasion of his first ever MLB start (Pujols is DH'ing).
I don't believe he hit on his pitching days in Japan either, or even in the day or two prior to his pitching days.

[A Boy Named Seo]

We watched most of his start. Rocky for sure, but his stuff is undeniable. Super easy 99/100, scary slider, weird splitter looking pitch. He's gonna be just fine.

[Frayed Knot]

And that 3R job turned out to be the only runs he gave up on the day. And he got the win.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Ohtani threw strikes and had pretty good command from what I watched. He touched 99-100 on the radar gun so he has serious gas. He has a wicked splitter that just seems unfair after the fastball. He looks deceptive, in that his motion looks pretty smooth and I would never have thought he was throwing as hard as he was until the radar gun readings kept popping up. It will be intersting to see how he does going forward. He definitely has a big time arm.

[Frayed Knot]

Ohtani = 3-for-4 including a 3R HR in his second game as DH
It could have been a GS but for the wild pitch that moved all the runners up earlier in the AB
And, yes, his teammates gave him the silent treatment on his return to the dugout.

Now 4-9 thus far in the young season w/2 Ks to go with the HR
He did not hit on the day he pitched.

[Frayed Knot]

2/5 with another HR for Ohtani today (Wed). Now 6/14 with the 2 HRs and just 3 strikeouts. Plus there's that whole pitching win thing.
And to think that he spring was so unimpressive that there was talk of starting him off in the minors.

[MFS62]

After hitting home runs in three consecutive games, he is pitching in Anaheim against the A's today.
Its in the bottom of the sixth.
As Red Barber used to say, "There have been seven hits in the game and the Angels have all of them".

Later

[MFS62]

Marcus Semien singled to left to break up the no-no in the top of the 7th.
Ohtani IS human, after all.
Later

[Frayed Knot]

1 hit, 1 BB, 12K in 7 innings and almost certainly a 'W' (LAA up 6-0 after 8) -- how's that to cap off a week which also includes 3 HRs?

As Channel 11 sportscaster Jerry Girard once said about Wayne Gretzky: 'He's just been named player of the week ... for next week'

[batmagadanleadoff]

As Channel 11 sportscaster Jerry Girard once said about Wayne Gretzky: 'He's just been named player of the week ... for next week'

Jerry Girard was great, wasn't he?

[Frayed Knot]

The two quotes I remember most from him were the Gretzky one from above and also the times he'd announce that 'Dave Kingman was attacked by another fly ball in left field today' over the latest clip
of DK losing one in the sun or just having one clank off his glove.

[Lefty Specialist]

https://sports.theonion.com/annoyed-shohei-ohtani-had-hoped-u-s-baseball-players-w-1825116523?utm_content=SP&utm_campaign=SF&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMarketing

[nymr83]

Ohtani has been amazing early on, but tonight in a pinch hitting appearance he met his match - BARTOLO GETS THE GROUNDOUT!

[Frayed Knot]

Tripled last night, has doubled already tonight.

It remains to be seen what happens as he gets to the second time around the league, but this is stunning so far.
.346/.414/.769 in 26 ABs coming into today's action (so not including today's leadoff 2B)

[MFS62]

The first batter he faced tonight was Mookie Betts, who hit a home run.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

And the night only got better from there for Betts: 2 more HRs (neither off Ohtani);
but worse from there for Ohtani: 66 pitches just to get through 2 IP: 3 Runs, 4 Hits, 2 Walks, and then left game due to "blister" problems (or so they say)

First rough night for him on an MLB mound, something which may or may not have to do with the blister or with facing the hot Sox. His other two ML starts both came against Oakland
... and he's still hitting .367/424/.767 -- 11/30 w/5 XBHs

[Edgy MD]

Reports say he's likely looking down the barrell of Tommy John surgery.

[Vic Sage]

This sucks. He was doing something historic, and now people who said he couldn't be both a hitter AND a pitcher will say "told you so." Which also sucks.

[Guest 41Forever]

Vic Sage wrote: This sucks. He was doing something historic, and now people who said he couldn't be both a hitter AND a pitcher will say "told you so." Which also sucks.

Absolutely. Was a wonderful story for baseball. Hoping he comes back and is just as good.

Whenever we think the Mets are stalked by bad luck, an Angels fan might disagree.

[metirish]

Vic Sage wrote: This sucks. He was doing something historic, and now people who said he couldn't be both a hitter AND a pitcher will say "told you so." Which also sucks.

Smoltz was pushing this a little during the game saturday....anyway, from an article on AOL....

Ohtani has a history of right elbow issues that was known among MLB teams when they were pursuing him during the offseason. Yahoo Sports reported in December that Ohtani had a less-severe Grade 1 UCL sprain as of Nov. 28 and received a PRP injection on Oct. 20.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/06/11/shohei-ohtani-could-be-out-until-2020-season-after-tommy-john-surgery-report/23456153/

[Centerfield]

Vic Sage wrote: This sucks. He was doing something historic, and now people who said he couldn't be both a hitter AND a pitcher will say "told you so." Which also sucks.

Well the logic is undeniable. 100% of two-way players in MLB required Tommy John surgery this year.

Clearly it's playing 2 ways that messes you up. If you just concentrate on pitching you're totally fine.

[smg58]

Well in baseball's major league, pitchers swing the bat all the time.

The UCL was a known red flag with Ohtani, so while the development is very unfortunate, it was not improbable or unforeseeable.

[MFS62]

smg58 wrote: Well in baseball's major league, pitchers swing the bat all the time.

That doesn't get a BOC.
It gets a standing ovation.
Later

[seawolf17]

Could you imagine what we'd be doing right now if Ohtani *had* signed here and this happened in June? Citi Field would be pitchfork city.