Everything to know about Shohei Ohtani’s father, Coach Toru Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is a true unicorn. A Japanese star, the two-way star, is someone whose greatness is yet to peak in the MLB world. And still, he is already one of the best ever to play the game of baseball. Ohtani’s stardom began with comparisons to baseball legend Babe Ruth, but as of 2023, many think he has left even the late Yankee legend in the dust.

Growing up in Japan, Ohtani was always interested in everything about his beloved sport. So much so that he even earned the nickname “yakyū shōnen“, a kid who lives and breathes baseball. After all, he comes from a family that was devoted to the sport. Just as Sho-time became a professional athlete, so did his older brother, Ryuta, who became an amateur player.

But how did the two brothers end up loving the sport? Well, it was all thanks to their father, Toru Ohtani.

Who is Shohei Ohtani’s father?

For the unversed, Toru Ohtani is the man who coached young Shohei to not only be the player that he is today but was also instrumental in shaping him as a human being. A baseball lover, Ohtani-san, passed on the same passion to both his sons.

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However, he had regrets about not doing enough for his older son, Ryuta. So when young Shohei showed an aptitude for the game, Toru Ohtani knew he had to give it his all to coach his son.

What does Shohei’s father do?

Ohtani-san originally worked at a local automobile manufacturing plant before his younger son got involved in the sport. An amateur player for the Japanese Industrial League, Shohei Ohtani’s father also played as an outfielder for the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Yokohama baseball team.

But after Shohei entered junior high and became more serious about baseball, Toru Ohtani knew he had to do something. After his young son joined the “Ichinoseki Little Senior” baseball association, a 45-minute drive away from his home, Toru decided to become a coach for the club. After gaining permission, they became a baseball father-son duo.

An ordinary upbringing of MLB and NPB star

Heralded as one of the greatest ballplayers of any generation, Shohei’s MLB career has seen him achieve mind-blowing stats. But his upbringing was fairly ‘normal’. A country boy growing up in Mizusawa, now part of the city of Ōshū, Shohei was an active child. Never afraid of going closer to any equipment, he made his father nervous with his childlike enthusiasm.

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He was naturally interested in sports, with his father and brother playing baseball. But it wasn’t just them; Ohtani’s mother was also a National level high school badminton player.

Growing up in a very athletic environment and being the son of the coach didn’t mean any special treatment, however. Shohei Ohtani may have gone on to become a Japanese baseball star with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the NPB, but he came from humble beginnings.

Influence of Shohei Ohtani’s father, the baseball coach

In a sport like baseball, individual talent is a must. While on the field, each player has to contribute to something, because ultimately, it all counts as a team effort. A single player cannot change the fate of the team by himself, but if he has others by his side, victory can be achieved.

Toru Ohtani understood this well, and so did his son. “There was no special treatment. In practice and games, I didn’t think of him as my dad. He was first and foremost my coach,” Sho-time told Nippon.com.

As there began to be hype around little Shohei as a kid, he worked even harder to live up to it. But Toru Ohtani never let any fame go to his son’s head.

How did his father keep him level-headed?

Baseball coach Toru Ohtani may never have played professionally, but like many others, he knew how to be an excellent teacher. One important part of that training was a journal that the father and son shared. From good moves to bad, both of them used to write in a notebook about what went right or wrong after games.

“Typical entries were things like, ‘Great control up to the third inning’ or ‘Chased too many high pitches.’ We did it for several years, until Shōhei was in the fifth grade or so. We ended up filling two or three notebooks in all,” Toru told Nippon.com.

Among those entries were a few pieces of advice that have stuck with Shohei even today.

What words of his father stuck with Ohtani?

The World Baseball Classic has brought immense popularity to Team Japan and its captain, Shohei Ohtani. No matter how big or small an event, Sho-time always goes all out at whatever he’s doing. If one is familiar with Japanese media of any sort, one will be familiar with the common running theme of hard work. Not only does it increase the chances of a good performance, it allows individuals to give their best, always.

“Be loud and energetic,” “Give it your all when playing catch in practice,” and “Run all out” were the three key pieces of advice that Toru Ohtani gave to his son. And as Shohei says, it may be basic advice, but it has stuck with him even today.

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The two-way phenomenon continues to give it his all at the MLB level and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.