Shohei Ohtani – baseball pioneer
The diversity in Major League Baseball is a key factor in it’s global growth. Japanese player Shohei ‘Shotime’
He is a “2 way player” meaning he pitches and bats and is leading the league in Home Runs an just pitched a 99MPH fastball.
Ohtani is shaking up the world of baseball for the Los Angeles Angels.
Many traditionalists, disbelieving that a player could defy history, believed he should have picked one speciality and stuck to it, but Ohtani is continuing with both.
The New York Times noted: “the Angels’ “super freak” is dominating as a hitter and a pitcher. There are things that he can do on a baseball field that other people can’t.”
Its awesome that the most valuable current player in Major League Baseball comes from outside the US Baseball system. He previously played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball’s (NPB) Pacific League.
After years of engaging deeply with Asian countries like Japan, Major League Baseball is yielding the fruits of its global strategy in fresh and high level talent, tv rights dollars, merchandise & audience growth.
Go Shohei!
Featured Image source: Jack Dempsey/AP
Image source: David Zalubowski/AP
