Shohei Ohtani once again proved that it’s impossible to hate him after he apologized to Trevor Story for getting him out.
There’s really no other way to say it: Hating Shohei Ohtani is impossible.
Baseball has existed for well over a century, yet it hasn’t seemed as genuinely fun as it does when Ohtani is on the diamond. There have been stars, there have have been legends, but there has only been one Ohtani in MLB.
Anyone who reads into that with any ounce of negativity is telling the world that they’re watching baseball for the first time — and honestly, Ohtani makes it feel that way for everyone who gets to witness his greatness.
Ohtani harkens back not just to Babe Ruth, but to the innocence and purity of the mythological romanticization of the game. When you hear old timers and die-hands wax poetic about all the great things the game represents, they’re describing Ohtani.
Look no further than Monday night’s game in Los Angeles between the Angels and Rockies for a small slice of what a our joy it is to watch Ohtani.
After throwing Trevor Story out, Ohtani apologized to the Rockies star in one of the most innocent and awesome moments of the season. Once again we were reminded that it’s impossible to hate anything Ohtani does.
C’mon. How can you look at that and have some asinine take like he can’t be the face of baseball. Imagine watching something as genuine and pure as that and not have a smile creep across your face.
Ohtani is a gem, a gift to baseball that we’re still learning to appreciate because we never knew we deserved something so amazing. From bashing home runs one night to striking batters out the next, we haven’t seen anything like Ohtani before — not even with Ruth.
It’s a joy every time we get to experience something with him.