Shohei Ohtani is having the season of the ages. If there were an MVP-of-the-century award, it would probably have his name on it. A double-powered sword, he has been a force to be reckoned with this year, even while he is recovering from injury. From entering the 40-40 club to becoming the first player in history to smash a record of 50 homers and 50 steals, all in a season—he has etched his name amongst the basketball greats. So much so that many fans and insiders think this record cannot be matched for a long time now by anyone. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers fans were ecstatic when the star hit the 50th homer. But they are also grateful to a key figure, which made the 50/50 possible that day – Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. Despite everyone thinking he would signal an intentional walk to the Ohtani, Skip didn’t. We have all seen Aaron Judge, who is also a player having a stellar season, get walked several times. Last month, Judge was walked three times in a single game. Juan Soto even got a little frustrated to see the captain on the sidelines. But lucky for Ohtani, because he was given the chance and he created history. 

Shohei Ohtani has to thank Skip Schumaker for being the bigger man!

As the Japanese star stepped into the plate with the Dodgers leading 11-3, the cameras panned to Schumaker. Everyone expected him to raise four fingers to signal the intentional walk. Instead, the NSFW lip-read moment revealed Schumaker’s intention of not taking the conventional safe route. Lip readers confirmed the manager’s words as “F*** that. I’ve got too much respect for this guy for that s*** to happen.” Soon after the decision to pitch to Ohtani, the slugger sent an opposite-field shot soaring, entering uncharted territory.

The Marlins manager said that he didn’t intentionally walk Shohei Ohtani because it would have been a flawed move. “That’s a bad move, baseball-wise, karma-wise, baseball-gods-wise. You go after him and see if you can get him out. I think out of respect for the game, we’re going to after him.” For Schumaker, heading face-on was what he felt best. Plus, he said he never witnessed anything done like this at the game before. 

Schumacher even noted, “If he has a couple more of these peak years, he might be the best ever to play the game.” Well, no doubt about that—the Los Angeles Dodgers player has practically slashed all boundaries. The Marlins are now not in contention for the playoffs, but this move made Schumaker a hit among baseball fans. Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Phillips said, “What he did Thursday night will make him a lot more fans than he already has.”

This is much in contrast to what usually happens with Aaron Judge. Judge had faced plenty of managers going out of the way to prevent him from setting the AL HR record in 2022, as stated by Joey, co-host for the Battle of New York Podcast. And this statement has led to a flurry of comments by fans!

Fans spark heated debate over Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani’s treatment!

As John Scheider, the Toronto Blue Jays manager, famously said in August, “Honestly didn’t feel like seeing him swing.” In total, twenty of the Yankee captain’s league-leading 125 walks this season have been intentional–because most don’t take the chance. As for Ohtani, he didn’t get walked every so often. One fan highlighted how Barry Bonds went through the same in the 2000s, insinuating if Aaron Judge didn’t receive the ‘Barry Bonds treatment,’ he would possibly have hit more home runs.

A loyal Judge supporter couldn’t help but bring in the fact that if Judge was pitched every time like Ohtani, he may have done something crazy too. And it’s not wrong to think so! Aaron Judge, without a doubt, is the frontrunner of the team. He is the hitter, who brings in the maximum home runs and without him, even the team struggles. We all remember the back-to-back losses the New York Yankees suffered when Judge was in a slump. So, opponent teams might be gettting strategic and want to take the captain out. The Yankees just need to maybe have better hitters in the lineup, so that Judge doesn’t end up being the target every time. 

One dedicated New York Yankee fan couldn’t help but note that the anti-Yankee bias runs deep among fans. Right now, though, given the amount of time Judge is walked, it seems more like Aaron Judge’s problem than the opposing team’s. Judge has had a sensational year, batting .321, leading with 53 homers, 136 RBI, and a 1.142 OPS. He could even clench the MVP award, his second one. So, statically, many just want to stop Judge from achieving it and giving the Yanks an edge. 

Another Ohtani fan couldn’t stop himself from pointing out that Ohtani is always loveable, whereas many consider Judge to be ‘kind of boring’. Well, Judge is a senior veteran of the sport; he has always been calm and composed, while Shohei Ohtani is a fan-favorite for sure. He does seem to get the attention of the people—we don’t know if it’s his million-dollar smile. Some even adore him over his pet, Decoy, which allowed many to witness a dog pitch for the first time last month. So, Ohtani just seems to have made a stronger connection with the people. There was a literal traffic jam, people lined up hours ahead to clinch the Decoy and Ohtani merch in the stadium, not to forget the resale value of those items.

One commenter just typed four words that described how Ohtani is basically getting paid off for his hard work. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker backed this sentiment, noting that he respects Ohtani too much to let him walk. Undoubtedly, the Dodgers star has earned it after having a spectacular season. While he started the season with an injury he still is recovering from, most fans had less hope, and still, he smashed all records and rewrote the tales of baseball. 

The Marlins lost 20-4, but the Dodgers respected the decision made by Schumaker. Ohtani has 51-51, yes he slashed another after the initial 50 in the same game. So, now, the Dodger’s star can pay his attention to the playoffs. At present, his team is in the NL West lead, so, they could even get the division title after 13 years. 

What’s your take on the debates over Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani’s treatment? Share in the comments below.