Every athlete is in it to win it. Shohei Ohtani may be stuck on a team that cannot bring out his full potential, but he would take winning over losing any day. While one might expect the Japanese superstar to air his frustrations in his native tongue, the baseball world was recently treated to a disappointed Ohtani speaking English in a rare display of emotions.
It’s impossible to talk about Shotime and language and not mention his trusty translator, Ippei Mizuhara. The two share a close bond and even though the two-way phenom speaks some English, he lets Mizuhara handle it. But in rare instances, Ohtani comes forward to let his multilingual skills shine.
Shohei Ohtani Curses Out Loud At Wild Kyle Tucker Play
Had Ohtani not been playing like the unicorn he is, the Houston Astros’ Kyle Tucker would be a serious contender for the AL MVP. A few weeks ago, when the two teams matched up at Angel Stadium, cameras showed a close-up of Shotime in the dugout following teammate Matt Thaiss. But of course, the night ended in disappointment. To any lip-readers, it seemed like Ohtani had an expletive on his tongue, saying “F*ck” with pursed lips.
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Tucker had just made a fantastic dive catch off Thaiss’ ball. It was an outstanding play for the Astros of course, but anyone watching the Angels dugout could see Sho-time’s heartbreaking reaction. While his frustrated inner monologue may have been Japanese, the expletive he uttered out loud seemed to be in English.
Interestingly, Ohtani has referred to his language skills previously, stating that he doesn’t spend too much time honing them. The only English the star slugger speaks is usually limited to ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’. While ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has openly criticized him for it, baseball’s unicorn has a simple answer for him – Shohei Ohtani is here to play baseball, not learn English.
Fans understand that fulfilling that lifelong dream is a tad bit more important than learning a language. Nevertheless, many had hilarious reactions to his swearing-out-loud moment.
Baseball Fans Confirm Ohtani’s English Speaking Skills
Although Ohtani’s reaction in the clip is heartbreaking, the comments online lend the moment some hilarity. Some point out how the Angels slugger needs a translator but is comfortable with expletives.
“Ohtani knows English confirmed” says one. Another pointed out, “Bro really said ”Fuq” One fan referred to his apparent need of Mizuhara, “Dude needs a translator but says fu*k😭”
One tried to translate what Sho-time may have said in Japanese at the beginning. “For those who doesn’t recognize, he is saying “Ochiro! Ochiro!” In Japanese, which means, “drop! Drop!” In English.” Another hilariously pointed out what the rest were thinking, “I dont speak Japanese. But I know what he said.”
Ohtani may not speak a second language as well as he’d like to, but at the end of the day, his baseball legacy is what counts. And it’s a story that will never be forgotten.
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