Mandatory Photo Credit: © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGLES — Shohei Ohtani chooses his words wisely.
That’s partly because he doesn’t speak English. But also — when he does speak with reporters — he’s carefully guarded.
In a recently-released interview with GQ Japan, Ohtani spoke about a variety of topics, including his elbow surgery, his dog, his early relationship with the game of baseball, and his intention to play out all 10 years of his contract with the Dodgers.
The interview was obviously done in Japanese – so each response was translated using AI. Amazing, right? Also, because it was conducted before Ohtani went public with his marriage, the interview did not discuss his mystery partner.
On what baseball means to him:
“[Baseball] is a job where you never know when you’ll get seriously injured, and if it doesn’t work out, you can just quit. That’s why I want to be prepared for it to happen at any time, and live each day without regrets. I’m optimistic.”
On life in 10 years from now:
“39 years old, 40 years old … I still want to play baseball. If possible, I want to be active (laughs). Of course, the day will come when I will retire, but I want to continue to like baseball at that time. My goal is to like baseball, not to think that I don’t like it, or to want to quit.”
On his love for dogs:
“I originally wanted to have a dog, but (that desire) seems to have been accelerated by the surgery. Now it’s a dog and rehabilitation. That’s all I have .. I’ve been living alone for a long time, and I’ve never felt like being alone, but once I get used to living with a dog, I can’t leave him anymore (laughs). I’m always with him when I’m training and running.”
On playing baseball at a young age:
“It’s consistently like a hobby since I started playing baseball in the lower grades of elementary school. At first, catch was simply interesting, and I wanted to play baseball on the weekend as soon as possible. It’s completely a sense of play. The fun of winning the game and hitting a home run was added there, and I also learned the joy of practicing. That kind of fun and happiness have piled up now. Of course, there is also an aspect of work now, so I also want to fulfill my responsibilities. But after all, there is both the fun of playing baseball and the fun of setting goals and achieving them.”
It’s not often we’re graced with Shohei Ohtani quotes, so it’s refreshing to gain insight into his life beyond baseball. At the end of the day, he’s a human being (believe it or not). He presumably enjoys his wings hot and beer cold (just like you.) The only difference? He’s the best MLB player to ever step foot on planet earth. And when you say “play ball,” he says: 試合開始.
