OT- Shohei Ohtani

[superjohn]

Quite a start to his MLB career, dude is filthy.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadsp...y-clearly-not-from-this-planet-1825094229/amp

 

[uconnfan68]

Been reading about him. Sounds like he’s the real deal. The question remains how long he’ll do both roles.

 

[noeynox]

Looks like a revolutionary player and the Angels got him for peanuts.

 

[KemBaller]

Looks like a revolutionary player and the Angels got him for peanuts.

JP posting fee and Ohtani wanted to play out west. Almost every MLB team made offers on him but not much you can do when a guy has a strong geographical preference.

 

[storrsroars]

That article includes a tweet that Ohtani pitched the highest game score of 2018 yesterday, with a 90. And that tweet was a couple hours after Jameson Taillon pitched a one-hit, 7 K, 2 BB complete game for a game score of 95. And Taillon drove in the first run.

Just pointing out a missed fact. And how the Pirates get no love.

 

[the Q]

I’m still a little bitter he spurred the Red Sox out of hs (and my dynasty baseball league team).

But there was no question he was the real deal. But damn he probably cost himself a ton of money by being impatient. Japanese arms have a terrible long term track record (historically). Joe Sheehan wrote an awesome article about for his newsletter.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Looks like a revolutionary player and the Angels got him for peanuts.

Very curious to see how that actually goes because there's a lot of rumors that there was an under the table deal in place to give him a massive extension pretty early in the contract. Otherwise, it just really didn't make sense for him to come over this year instead of waiting I think one more year to be totally unrestricted by the arbitration system. And by how hard they came down on the Braves for what would be a relatively minor infraction compared to that, the punishment would not be pretty if this actually happens.

 

[Rico444]

Ohtani has more strikeouts than Max Scherzer and more home runs than Aaron Judge.

 

[Excalibur]

I reached a bit for him (as a pitcher) in my fantasy draft when others had cooled on him due to poor spring training stats. So far it's looking like a good move.

 

[superjohn]

That article includes a tweet that Ohtani pitched the highest game score of 2018 yesterday, with a 90. And that tweet was a couple hours after Jameson Taillon pitched a one-hit, 7 K, 2 BB complete game for a game score of 95. And Taillon drove in the first run.

Just pointing out a missed fact. And how the Pirates get no love.

Why would the Pirates get love? They haven't been good since Pops Stargell.

 

[HobokenHusky]

Why would the Pirates get love? They haven't been good since Pops Stargell.

I mean they made the playoffs from 2013 - 2015 - you are kind of proving storrsroar's point.

 

[UConnWingman]

Why would the Pirates get love? They haven't been good since Pops Stargell.

They were a very good team 90-92, losing in the NLCS each year to the Reds (6 games) and Braves (twice, 7 games each time). That OF of Bonds, Van Slyke and Bonilla was one of the better hitting OFs of all time. Those Braves series were gone ones. Smoltz shut them out in Game 7 back in ‘91, and then in ‘92 the Pirates actually had a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the 9th. Drabek got chased after a leadoff double and an error charged to Jose Lind, and then Stan Belinda blew the game a few ABs later. That was usually the knock on those Pirates’ teams: pitching. Their SP was good / very good, but never dominant. Their relief pitching was suspect.

 

[nomar]

It's amazing how he went from having the worst spring training to the best start of the season.

 

[tentoes4rings]

It's amazing how he went from having the worst spring training to the best start of the season.

For guys guaranteed of a roster spot, Spring Training is for nothing more than getting ready for Opening Day. It’s good to see guys do well in March, but it doesn’t really predict what kind of success a guy has in the regular season. Especially in his case, I’m sure acclimating to the U.S was more important than putting up big Spring numbers.

 

[superjohn]

They were a very good team 90-92, losing in the NLCS each year to the Reds (6 games) and Braves (twice, 7 games each time). That OF of Bonds, Van Slyke and Bonilla was one of the better hitting OFs of all time. Those Braves series were gone ones. Smoltz shut them out in Game 7 back in ‘91, and then in ‘92 the Pirates actually had a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the 9th. Drabek got chased after a leadoff double and an error charged to Jose Lind, and then Stan Belinda blew the game a few ABs later. That was usually the knock on those Pirates’ teams: pitching. Their SP was good / very good, but never dominant. Their relief pitching was suspect.

I remember that team well, they made Sid Bream look like a speed demon. The Pirates haven't won their division in almost 30 years.

 

[nomar]

For guys guaranteed of a roster spot, Spring Training is for nothing more than getting ready for Opening Day. It’s good to see guys do well in March, but it doesn’t really predict what kind of success a guy has in the regular season. Especially in his case, I’m sure acclimating to the U.S was more important than putting up big Spring numbers.

Yes, I've been following baseball for some time.

It's still amazing that this dude looked completely over-matched on the mound and at the plate -- to the point the Angels were reportedly considering sending him down -- and now looks like Babe Ruth.

Given Ohtani's struggles on the mound (15 earned runs and 18 hits in 8.1 innings) and as a hitter (2-for-20) this spring, it increasingly looks like he could begin the season at Triple-A. Ohtani has likely just two more starts on the mound in spring training to show he's ready for MLB action. Another factor that may keep Ohtani in the minors initially is that his free agency would be pushed back a year if he is in the minors for the first 15 days of the MLB season.

Ohtani gave up seven runs and six hits, including two home runs, and was lifted in the second inning of Friday's spring training game against Colorado. Ohtani is not assured of making the 25-man roster, general manager Billy Eppler told Los Angeles Times. "It's too early to make a judgment right now," he said.

Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Could begin season in minors

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Let's wait until year two before crowing him "the real deal". A lot of players for the East look great in season 1. I hope he is the real deal as it will add a nice spark to baseball and a team in a major market.

 

[Dogdeacon]

First TENTOES:
For guys guaranteed of a roster spot, Spring Training is for nothing more than getting ready for Opening Day. It’s good to see guys do well in March, but it doesn’t really predict what kind of success a guy has in the regular season. Especially in his case, I’m sure acclimating to the U.S was more important than putting up big Spring numbers.
THEN NOMAR: Yes, I've been following baseball for some time.
It's still amazing that this dude looked completely over-matched on the mound and at the plate -- to the point the Angels were reportedly considering sending him down -- and now looks like Babe Ruth.

No no, apparently they really were emphasizing acclimating to the U.S. - he gave up a lot of spring training runs because he was out late at parties with his cousin Samantha (poor oversight by US host grandparents).

 

[nomar]

No no, apparently they really were emphasizing acclimating to the U.S. - he gave up a lot of spring training runs because he was out late at parties with his cousin Samantha (poor oversight by US host grandparents).

AUTOMOBILE???

(That movie has not aged well, in certain ways.)

 

[intlzncster]

No no, apparently they really were emphasizing acclimating to the U.S. - he gave up a lot of spring training runs because he was out late at parties with his cousin Samantha (poor oversight by US host grandparents).

Is this a rare, but much appreciated, Long Duck Dong reference?

 

[Skiblets]

Dong. Grandfather is talking to you...

 

[jibsey]

I have 2 words for you... Kevin Maas. MLB pitchers eventually figure things out. As far as pitching goes, it looks good but it's a pretty small sample.

 

[Guapo]

I have 2 words for you... Kevin Maas. MLB pitchers eventually figure things out. As far as pitching goes, it looks good but it's a pretty small sample.

I have 4 words for you...Aaron Judge Gincarlo Stanton

 

[Dogdeacon]

I have 2 words for you... Kevin Maas. MLB pitchers eventually figure things out. As far as pitching goes, it looks good but it's a pretty small sample.

I don't understand the need for people to piss in the cheerios about this guy. We get to imagine even if only for a while, what it was like when Babe Ruth walked into baseball and broke the paradigm of hitting & simultaneously was amongst the game's best pitchers.

Would you like to have been alive to witness that!?

Top 5 sports careers I wish I'd witnessed:
1. Michael Jordan (CHECK)
2. Ali (half)
3. Babe Ruth (no)
4. Jackie Robinson (no)
5. Wilt & Bill Russell (no, 2 for 1)

Also receiving votes: John L. Sullivan, Gale Sayers, Jesse Owens, Bobby Orr, Jim Brown

 

[dennismenace]

Let's wait until year two before crowing him "the real deal". A lot of players for the East look great in season 1. I hope he is the real deal as it will add a nice spark to baseball and a team in a major market.

The pitchers union will be on the lookout for a "hole". The hitters need to see his stuff a few times. Sounds like he has pretty good stuff as far as pitching. Everyone was after him. It is always great for the game when a star is born, even if he beats up on your team. Time will tell. When some of the Yankees went on a Japan tour years back and Matsui was with them they said the crowds treated him like a rock star. I think the Yes network made a lot of money broadcasting games back to Japan. Good for the Angels.