The impact of Shohei Ohtani November 24, 17:01, spoken by a local American reporter

Literally, Shohei Ohtani (27), who won the major league baseball this season.

With 9 wins as a pitcher, 156 strikeouts, 46 home runs as a batter, 26 stolen bases and a record unthinkable in modern baseball, he won the American League MVP = Most Valuable Player with a full vote this month.

Reporters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted.

How did Otani's shocking year look in the eyes of those who have been covering "baseball" for many years?

(American General Bureau Reporter Shuta Yamamoto)

Testimony 1: Bob Nightingale (USA Today)

"American children will also start saying they want to do dual wield."

If you like Major League Baseball, you may have heard this reporter's name once.

Bob Nightingale.

He has 300,000 followers on Twitter and is one of the most prominent reporters in the United States.

Currently, Mr. Nightingale overlooks the entire ball world as a columnist without being in charge of a specific team.

First of all, we talked to a famous reporter who has a wide range of connections in the ball world and continues to send out "special news" such as transfer information of players and contract negotiations.

Bob Nightingale

"Otani this season is just" magic ". It was really cool to watch. I've interviewed several people who have opened the door to the baseball world, one of whom is Hideo Nomo. He opened the door to the major leagues for many Japanese players. Bo Jackson, who once played in all-star games in both the NFL (American Professional Football League) and the major leagues, is also a two-sword style that goes beyond the boundaries of competition. And Shohei Ohtani. With his appearance, American children will start saying, "I want to do both pitcher and outfield."

However, there was something I couldn't even predict for Mr. Nightingale, who praises Otani so much.

The interview was before the announcement of the MVP award.

I asked about the outlook.

Bob Nightingale

"I'm sure the MVP award itself isn't a full vote. I don't know if a couple of people, including the two Blue Jays reporters, will get the first vote in Otani. I'm National. I have the right to vote for the MVP of the league, but I can't vote for Otani because I don't have the American League. I'm sorry. "

But the result was not.

All 30 reporters who voted, including the reporter in charge of the Blue Jays, cast the first place vote for Otani.

Mr. Nightingale was also elected with an unexpected full vote.

I could understand how historic Otani did.

Testimony 2: Gordon Ease Former Red Sox Official Historian

"Michael Jordan in baseball"

Gordon Ease, who has covered the Major League Baseball for over 40 years and was the historian of the Red Sox for five years.

When I applied for coverage, he invited me to my home in the suburbs of Boston and talked to me with a smile like a baseball boy while showing me an article about Ruth 100 years ago.

Gordon Ease

"I think Otani is already over Ruth as an athlete, because I don't think Ruth has thrown a 100-mile ball and recorded a higher speed than Otani. Otani is challenging the dual wield in an era when the entire sports world emphasizes expertise. This is really amazing. Shohei Otani has appeared as a "light of hope" in a pandemic and uneasy world, and many Bringing smiles and joy to people. He's better than any player I've seen in 40 years. "

Then, based on the history of the baseball world, I cut it out like this.

Gordon Ease

"The Major League Baseball has been overwhelmed by other sports in the last 30 years. There is no doubt that it has been overtaken by the NFL in popularity. There was no superstar like Michael Jordan in the baseball world. However, he needed a new star player to appear. Among them, Otani is a perfect match and seems to be a cartoon superhero. At the age of 24, Ruth said, "It is impossible to continue the two-sword style all the time." He said, and from the following year he was almost devoted to the batter. I'm really looking forward to seeing him from next year on how far Otani can continue the two-sword style. "

Testimony 3: Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune)

"I should make the" Shohei Ohtani Award ""

Paul Sullivan was president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America until last year.

He has been in charge of Major League Baseball for 32 years, but he is a soft-mannered person, but when he heard that "Babe Ruth is coming back" when Otani went to the United States four years ago, he thought "Please tell me a joke."

Of course, that opinion seems to have changed 180 degrees now.

Paul Sullivan

"MVP is overwhelmingly Otani. It's the first time I've been so successful in pitching in the same year since Babe Ruth. I was impressed by seeing him," Wow! This is amazing. " In the 2000s, there was a very good pitcher called Zambrano, who won the Silver Slugger Award three times. Even in that Zambrano, Otani hit 46 in a year, even though he had a total of 24 home runs in 12 years. What should I say? It's impossible. "

And, as a former chairman, he was "concerned" about the future of the MVP.

Paul Sullivan

"I've been thinking a lot lately since next year. Otani's success this season was certainly historic, but if he does the same next year and again, will he continue to be the MVP? Better yet, I think it would be nice to make an "Otani Shohei Award" alongside the Cy Young Award and MVP. Then I feel that all the problems will be solved. "

Shohei Ohtani "Shock" continues

In this interview, I talked to more than 10 reporters in order to explore the possibility of Otani's MVP award, but no one recommended anything other than Otani.

The unanimous MVP award was a testament to the discerning "baseball" reporters praising their dual wield success and recognizing their historical value.

One reporter was impressed by the fact that "We had never seen a legendary figure named Babe Ruth with our own eyes, but now we are witnessing an athlete named Shohei Ohtani. This is really. I'm lucky. "

I had exactly the same feeling.

If you think about it, the MVP has been recognized as the official record of the Major League Baseball since 1931.

For the last 90 years, there has been no dual wield player like Otani in Major League Baseball.

In other words, it can be said that the MVP award itself did not assume dual wield.

Otani said that "the number of this year is the lowest line", but if he keeps the results as the word says, the MVP of the major leagues will become Otani every year.

I'd like to see that, but the day may really come when we will set up a new award for dual wield players, as suggested by Sullivan.

The "shock" of Shohei Ohtani, an athlete with immeasurable potential, continues.

Satoshi Yamamoto,

reporter in charge of sports at the US General Bureau,

joined the sports news department in 2010. In

charge

of skiing, rugby, track and field, etc.