Shohei Ohtani

[Tabascocat]

Well, he sort of is a full-timer. He's full-time DH when he isn't pitching and sometimes takes the day off after a start. Has also DH'd right after a start, and he hits when he starts. I mean, that's as close as you can get to a full-timer.

Dude is unreal.

He plays OF too

 

[Hoofbite]

He plays OF too

Sometimes. I've seen it but have now clue how often. Seems rarely.

 

[atlantacowboy]

The league hasn't seen anything like him.

 

[Reality]

I feel like I've posted this before, but he's amazing.

If you don't follow baseball (I'm pretty casual myself), you're missing out on something that hasn't been done since Babe Ruth. He leads the league in HRs and has one of the best opponent BAs for a pitcher.

Seriously, he's a once-in-a-century player.

He's an amazing player and a lot of fun to watch, but he's not a once-in-a-century player by any means.

The baseball systems here from college to the minors to pros are hardwired to treat players as either pitchers OR position players, not both, so players are defined by whatever teams think they are best at and forced to focus only on that set of skills.

There are a lot of MLB pitchers who were really good batters and also good position players in high school and college, but no MLB wants to invest a lot of money into good pitchers who might get hurt playing second base or playing 9 innings every day they are not pitching.

There are also a lot of position players who were dominant pitchers in high school that could have had great pitching careers, but teams valued their batting and/or defense more than their pitching so they had to leave pitching behind.

Ohtani had the advantage of coming from outside the American baseball system so he had the chance to refine, improve and showcase all of his skills rather than being forced to pick one part and focus on it alone.

What I really hope Ohtani's success does is force MLB teams to realize that all players do not have to be only one thing to a team.

On the bright side, I have noticed in recent years that teams will sometimes pinch-hit using pitchers who can hit and pinch-run using pitchers who are fast runners a little more often than they used to, but I really hope players like Ohtani will make teams realize that there are more players like him out there if they just give them a chance to work on those skills as they are progressing through the minor leagues.

As I said, I think Ohtani is an amazing player and I think he is the type of player that MLB has desperately needed to evolve and improve its on-the-field product. I just also believe there are many other could-be or could-have-been Ohtani's out there if they were given the same opportunities to focus on all of their skills as they worked their way to the major league.

 

[Hoofbite]

He's an amazing player and a lot of fun to watch, but he's not a once-in-a-century player by any means.

The baseball systems here from college to the minors to pros are hardwired to treat players as either pitchers OR position players, not both, so players are defined by whatever teams think they are best at and forced to focus only on that set of skills.

There are a lot of MLB pitchers who were really good batters and also good position players in high school and college, but no MLB wants to invest a lot of money into good pitchers who might get hurt playing second base or playing 9 innings every day they are not pitching.

There are also a lot of position players who were dominant pitchers in high school that could have had great pitching careers, but teams valued their batting and/or defense more than their pitching so they had to leave pitching behind.

Ohtani had the advantage of coming from outside the American baseball system so he had the chance to refine, improve and showcase all of his skills rather than being forced to pick one part and focus on it alone.

What I really hope Ohtani's success does is force MLB teams to realize that all players do not have to be only one thing to a team.

On the bright side, I have noticed in recent years that teams will sometimes pinch-hit using pitchers who can hit and pinch-run using pitchers who are fast runners a little more often than they used to, but I really hope players like Ohtani will make teams realize that there are more players like him out there if they just give them a chance to work on those skills as they are progressing through the minor leagues.

As I said, I think Ohtani is an amazing player and I think he is the type of player that MLB has desperately needed to evolve and improve its on-the-field product. I just also believe there are many other could-be or could-have-been Ohtani's out there if they were given the same opportunities to focus on all of their skills as they worked their way to the major league.

That's fair.

 

[Hoofbite]

Ousted in the 1st round but made it exciting. I think he wins the round outright without sudden death if he doesn't spend the first half of the round trying to pull everything.

 

[terra]

Ousted in the 1st round but made it exciting. I think he wins the round outright without sudden death if he doesn't spend the first half of the round trying to pull everything.

frankly all this is getting boring.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

He's an amazing player and a lot of fun to watch, but he's not a once-in-a-century player by any means.

The baseball systems here from college to the minors to pros are hardwired to treat players as either pitchers OR position players, not both, so players are defined by whatever teams think they are best at and forced to focus only on that set of skills.

There are a lot of MLB pitchers who were really good batters and also good position players in high school and college, but no MLB wants to invest a lot of money into good pitchers who might get hurt playing second base or playing 9 innings every day they are not pitching.

There are also a lot of position players who were dominant pitchers in high school that could have had great pitching careers, but teams valued their batting and/or defense more than their pitching so they had to leave pitching behind.

Ohtani had the advantage of coming from outside the American baseball system so he had the chance to refine, improve and showcase all of his skills rather than being forced to pick one part and focus on it alone.

What I really hope Ohtani's success does is force MLB teams to realize that all players do not have to be only one thing to a team.

On the bright side, I have noticed in recent years that teams will sometimes pinch-hit using pitchers who can hit and pinch-run using pitchers who are fast runners a little more often than they used to, but I really hope players like Ohtani will make teams realize that there are more players like him out there if they just give them a chance to work on those skills as they are progressing through the minor leagues.

As I said, I think Ohtani is an amazing player and I think he is the type of player that MLB has desperately needed to evolve and improve its on-the-field product. I just also believe there are many other could-be or could-have-been Ohtani's out there if they were given the same opportunities to focus on all of their skills as they worked their way to the major league.

That’s way oversimplified.

Despite the fact that baseball from amateurs to the pros are hard-wired to be one or the other (pitchers OR hitters) the actual number of guys that make it to the league as either a pitcher or hitter is minute.

MLB has been around 152 years and in that time only ~20,000 people have played in the majors.

Now, filter the rank-and-file from actual elite players from that number and the numbers become even more disparate.

Ohtani is not some middle infielder that’s being brought into pitch the 9th inning of a lopsided game. He’s an outstanding hitter and top of the rotation pitcher.

 

[Reality]

That’s way oversimplified.

Despite the fact that baseball from amateurs to the pros are hard-wired to be one or the other (pitchers OR hitters) the actual number of guys that make it to the league as either a pitcher or hitter is minute.

MLB has been around 152 years and in that time only ~20,000 people have played in the majors.

Now, filter the rank-and-file from actual elite players from that number and the numbers become even more disparate.

Ohtani is not some middle infielder that’s being brought into pitch the 9th inning of a lopsided game. He’s an outstanding hitter and top of the rotation pitcher.

I said he was an amazing player (and he is), but he was not limited by the mindset of the American baseball systems where players have to be pitchers OR position players, so they never get to refine and improve both sets of skills.

 

[Hoofbite]

frankly all this is getting boring.

All what?

 

[terra]

All what?

your constant slobbering over him is boring. Just how many posts have you made in this thread?

 

[Hoofbite]

your constant slobbering over him is boring. Just how many posts have you made in this thread?

I think it's about as many as he has home runs. You realize you can choose not to view the thread? Nobody is forcing you to be here.

If this is boring for you, I suggest you find a thread that isn't.

Now, if you don't mind...Shohei is about to start at pitcher and leadoff in the All-Star game.

 

[terra]

I think it's about as many as he has home runs. You realize you can choose not to view the thread? Nobody is forcing you to be here.

If this is boring for you, I suggest you find a thread that isn't.

Now, if you don't mind...Shohei is about to start at pitcher and leadoff in the All-Star game.

It always amuses me when someone is put in the HOF in his first or second year.
As reagards this guy, he has a LOT of wood to chop to be compared to Babe Ruth

 

[Hoofbite]

It always amuses me when someone is put in the HOF in his first or second year.
As reagards this guy, he has a LOT of wood to chop to be compared to Babe Ruth

Agreed. But it doesn't change the fact that the last player to do what he is doing was Babe Ruth.

He could fizzle out next year. Who knows, enjoy the ride.

 

[Hoofbite]

This one is for @terra

 

[Hoofbite]

Ahem...how about #43