“Easy to Be His Manager…”: Former Angels Manager Sings Shohei Ohtani’s Praises While Highlighting Interpreter’s Integral Role in Communication

Shohei Ohtani is one of the most shining stars in the MLB world. He’s achieved legendary status in baseball, but how does he behave towards others, particularly managers and teammates? In a recent interview, the former Angels manager shared the secrets of managing Ohtani and talked about his language interpreter as well.

The 29-year-old Japanese star has become one of the latest baseball sensations, with fans having multiple curiosity about his nature. His former manager recently talked about managing the baseball star, despite the language barrier. He even praised his interpreter.

The Former Manager Joe Maddon Revealed Secrets about Managing Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is one of the most dominant names in the MLB season of 2023. Despite a severe UCL injury, this Japanese star played incredibly well, achieving a new height and making new history. Sometimes, rudeness comes with fame. So, fans often get curious about the Sho-time’s behavior with his teammates and managers. Ohtani is reportedly being a calm and disciplined player, hardly participating in any disputes. His former manager only confirms these assumptions and reports in his interview.

Recently, the former Los Angeles Angels’ manager Joe Maddon appeared in an interview with  Mike Vaccaro, titled, “Joe Maddon On World Series Win with Cubs, Managing Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout,” revealing his experience with the Designated Hitter and his interpreter. He praises Ohtani for his easily manageable behavior. When he was asked whether it was a challenge to be his manager, Maddon, without a second thought, replied, “Oh it was very easy, it’s very easy to be his manager.” He continued, “He’s a wonderful young man.” 

While praising the baseball star, he even brings his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara’s context, highlighting his efficiency in language translation, “Easy to communicate with, he has a great interpreter by the name of Ippei. Ippei and I get along great. We all get along great.” Language barriers sometimes make things complicated. So, Ippei Mizuraha was appointed for Ohtani as a translator, and the former manager confirms he has been doing his work efficiently. Without him, it will be a lot more challenging for the two-way phenom to survive in Los Angeles Angels. Ippei is the key to managing Sho-time properly.

Why is the Interpreter an integral part of managing Ohtani?

Ohtani was born and brought up in Japan, with minimum English knowledge to communicate with the media and fans. So, after joining the Los Angeles Angels, they arranged for him an interpreter to translate Japanese into English and vice versa. During games, the baseball star dominates the field, but he needs a translator for post-game interviews and fan interactions. Though he is trying to become fluent in English, he is still far away from handling everything without Ippei.

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If Ippei isn’t efficient and honest, managing the Angels’ Designated Hitter will be difficult. Previously, he was the translator of Hideki Okajima of the Boston Red Sox. So from his previous experiences, he is well aware of the questions the media asks during MLB seasons and how to handle them. He even has knowledge of Locker Room communication, which helps Ohtani to balance his image in media and in the Locker Room with his teammates.

What do you think of Ohtani’s English learning and his interpreter? Let us know in the comments.

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