By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer
The past six years of Major League Baseball have been stuffed with scandals and change. But above all else, this era will be defined by “Sho-Time,” and the next chapter now hangs in the balance.
Entering the 2023 season, media outlets and the MLB kept ushering fans and teams to appreciate greatness while it is here. Of course, everything was related to the definitive greatest baseball player of all time: Shohei Ohtani.
For most of the season, Ohtani has not only been the best hitter — leading all of baseball in home runs (44) and making the top five in RBI (91) — but also one of the best pitchers in the American League. The two-way player legitimately had a chance to push for the triple-crown at the plate and on the mound, something nobody in MLB history has yet to accomplish.
But those discussions quickly ended after Ohtani suffered a tear in his UCL during the first game of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon.
Ohtani, knowing he wouldn’t pitch again this season and may require Tommy John surgery, batted second in the Los Angeles Angels lineup during the nightcap of the doubleheader.
THAT is greatness.
It feels cliche to say, “You can’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone,” but that’s the only way to describe this situation. Ohtani will not pitch for the rest of the year, creating a pivotal moment for fans to learn how to appreciate the greatness present in all sports.
In sports culture, there is currently a disconnect between praise and appreciation. Star athletes in professional leagues are praised like gods by fans and critics alike. Yet it’s rare for a fan to actually sit down and appreciate the fact that the athlete is still a person.
Prominent media outlets have talked about Ohtani as someone who must be “more than human” or a “freak” due to his athletic impact on the game. But in a moment of weakness, Ohtani showed his dedication by playing in a game after receiving some of the most heartbreaking news possible. All of that is simply because he cares.
The baseball star is playing and living in a time when other athletes are caught up in scandals for allegedly dating underage women and flashing firearms, just to name a few. It’s not only impressive that Ohtani is the best athlete in the world right now; it’s impressive that he is just as good of a person as he is an athlete.
While the injury disappoints fans and the organization, nobody is more disappointed than Ohtani himself. His dedication will power the two-way player back onto the field, and if fans are looking for a role model, they must look no further than Ohtani.
