Major League Baseball Angels Shohei Ohtani became the winning pitcher in a match against the Athletics on the 9th without allowing a single run in the sixth inning, achieving a double-digit win and double-digit home run for the first time in 104 years since Babe Ruth. Did.
This is the full text of the questions and answers Ohtani gave to the Japanese and American press after the match.
"If you pitch well, you'll always have a chance."
[Questions from American Media]
Q. Today's home run surpassed Ichiro's all-time home run in the majors.
A. Of course, I think there are differences in type, but it's a great honor to beat some of those players' records, and I want to hit more and more.
Q. You finally achieved your 10th victory, but were you looking forward to it?
A. I thought that if I was pitching well, I would always have a chance.
Ward hit a good home run, scored the first goal, and I think he was on a good run, so I hope he can play more games like this.
"To be healthy until the end"
Q. Recently there have been a lot of things like hitting the ball with your foot and hitting the ball yourself, but what about your body?
A. I have a lot of accidents, but I want to play as many games as possible, and I want to play as many throws and hits as possible.
Q. Did the foot that hit the ball get a little worse as the game progressed?
A. I was concentrating during the game, so I didn't notice it so much, but I think it would be more uncomfortable after a while.
Q.Did it cross your mind that you would be replaced here right after you won?
A. I thought it would be tough because I was hitting quite decently, but I think I managed to concentrate and throw as many as possible.
Q. Today, you have the highest number of strikeouts in a single season, surpassing last year.
A. First of all, I want to manage my health day by day so that I can finish in good health, and I want to do my best to strike out more and more.
"The batting line that hit me well was good"
[Questions from the Japanese media]
Q. You looked a little disappointed when you changed. How did you feel when you changed?
A. In terms of the number of pitches, it would have been nice to have one more inning, but the point difference was a little off, so I felt like I had to communicate and change.
Q. You scored your 10th win with a home run, which was quite a long way off.
A. I think the extra point was good, but I think the three-run was big, so I think the batting line that hit that kind of chance was good.
Q.Did you find it difficult to play against the same opponent for two weeks in a row?
A.Of course.
From my side at bat, it's easier to get into the bat if I know the pitcher who knows the timing and how the pitcher will distribute the pitches. It doesn't change, but I feel like I can throw with my own rhythm as much as possible.
Q.It took about a minute to get up on the mound in the 4th inning.
A. No special measures have been taken.
I feel like checking.
"There are numbers that are more important in evaluating individuals."
Q. Your wins and home runs are in double digits, double digits, but you did it in Japan, but it's your first time in America, and I think it's a milestone for doing dual wielding. What do you think about it again?
A. Regarding pitching, the number of innings, or rather, throwing the innings well, and then holding down with a firmly low WHIP (*an index that indicates how many runners are allowed per inning with hits and foreballs) wins. I think it's an element that leads to
Of course, OPS (*on-base percentage + slugging percentage) is important as well as at-bats, and I hope to concentrate on such a comprehensive aspect one game at a time and improve it even more.
Q. When you were aiming for 10 wins when you won 9 last year, you said that whether or not you can win 10 wins is a big difference.
A. Of course, the impression will change greatly depending on whether it goes well or not. ) I thought it would increase.
Q. Did you increase the number of splits in today's pitching compared to last week, and is that part of your plan?
A. Neither.
Of course, there will be opponents who will play for 2 weeks in a row, and from here on out, I think there will be other teams, and of course, the same district, so I would like to manage the distribution of balls around here.
"It's just that no one is doing two things."
Q.I think 10 wins is a passing point, but what are your further goals?
A. As I said earlier, the most important thing is to be as healthy as possible and to be able to pitch until the end in good condition and to be able to participate in the game. I want to sleep properly so that I can face it again in a good condition, and I want to do my best so that I can meet a good tomorrow.
Q. Babe Ruth's name comes up every time a record comes out, not just this time.
Of course, the era, environment, and background are different, but how do you perceive the fact that the name of a person from over 100 years ago appears?
A. Of course, I think it's an honor, but I don't think it's easy to know what kind of impression your current numbers will make during the season, so after the season is over, I'd like to think about what the season was like. I wish I could look back.
Q. Babe Ruth's name hasn't been mentioned in 100 years.
How do you think about the rarity value again?
A.I think it's just that there weren't people doing two things, so if it becomes commonplace, it might be more, or maybe it's a normal number, and that's simply because there aren't many people doing it. think.
Q. You also mentioned that the sight of Ohtani overcoming hardships and setting various records has energized the people of Iwate, his hometown, for recovery.
How do you feel about setting a new record, delivering courage, and performing a performance that the locals can find such emotions?
A. If you receive it in that way, of course I think it's a pleasure, and during the season, as I've said before, the only thing I can do is to play a good game one game at a time. I haven't thought about it, so I'm glad that there are people who finally look back and think so.