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MLB, Baseball Herren, USA NLDS-San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers Oct 11, 2024 Los Angeles, California, USA Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani 17 reacts at bat in the first inning against the San Diego Padres during game five of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles Dodger Stadium California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJaynexKamin-Onceax 20241011_lbm_aj4_027
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MLB, Baseball Herren, USA NLDS-San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers Oct 11, 2024 Los Angeles, California, USA Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani 17 reacts at bat in the first inning against the San Diego Padres during game five of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles Dodger Stadium California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJaynexKamin-Onceax 20241011_lbm_aj4_027
In the opening moments of the 2025 season donning Dodger blue for the first time in his career. Shohei Ohtani made an entrance by launching a powerful home run during his initial at-bat at Dodger Stadium, receiving an ecstatic response from the crowd. It was a moment of pure baseball magic for Los Angeles. Well, for one-half of it.
The other side of the town was in agony. That swing, that power, that electrifying presence—it should still be theirs – that’s what Angels fans thought! Instead, Ohtani is launching bombs for the team up the freeway while the spotlight shines on Angels, who are left picking up the pieces of yet another wasted era, particularly on Arte Moreno.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: the Angels blew it. They had the most unique player in baseball history—a two-way superstar capable of carrying a franchise—and failed him at every turn. Year after year, Shohei Ohtani put up MVP-caliber numbers, and year after year, the Angels gave him a mediocre supporting cast, a shaky pitching staff, and zero playoff appearances.
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Now, with Shohei Ohtani thriving in an environment built for winning, the criticism toward Angels owner Arte Moreno and his front office is growing louder. And it’s not just about Ohtani leaving, fans are furious that the team didn’t trade him when they had the chance. Instead, the Angels clung to a delusion of making a playoff push in 2023, only to collapse spectacularly and watch Ohtani walk to the Dodgers for nothing in return.
The contrast between the Dodgers and the Angels is starkly evident when comparing their approaches to player acquisitions and team-building strategies. The Dodgers secured Ohtani with a $700 million deal and meticulously assembled a lineup boasting talents like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. They fostered a winning-oriented front office and a dependable pitching staff to complement Shotime’s stellar performances.
The Angels? They wasted his gameplay, to be precise! Over the years, Angels supporters stood by the team in anticipation of a turnaround. However, witnessing Ohtani‘s success with another team – the patience is now wearing thin. The demands for Moreno to part ways with the team are getting louder.
“This one hurts” – The fallout from Shohei Ohtani’s home run
This comment reflects an Angels fan’s frustration as Ohtani homered for the Dodgers, especially against them. “Of course he did…” signals painful inevitability, while “And it was against us 🫥” adds to the heartbreak. “Arte Moreno, you will never see the pearly gates,” dramatically condemns the Angels’ owner, blaming him for mismanaging Ohtani’s tenure and ultimately letting him go without any returns – an unforgivable sin for the fanbase.
One fan mocks the Angels owner Arte Moreno, specifically his infamous “we think he’s definitely a top 10 player” remark about Shohei Ohtani. The frustration comes from Moreno’s failure to recognize Ohtani’s true value—arguably the best player in baseball. The “F**k Arte” opener is pure frustration, blaming him for losing a once-in-a-lifetime talent. It’s a mix of sarcasm and anger, ridiculing the owner’s incompetence in handling Ohtani’s tenure.
Another user ridiculed those who doubted Shohei Ohtani’s potential to excel in Major League Baseball following his challenging “2018 Spring Training” when he faced difficulties as both a batter and a pitcher. Some critics even predicted he might not be good enough for “Single-A ball”. Now, after becoming a two-time MVP and a global superstar, “those doubters look like absolute schmucks,” a blunt way of saying they were completely wrong. The “Lol” drives home the irony, highlighting how badly they misjudged him.
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One comment even suggested that Arte Moreno’s failure to keep Shohei Ohtani will haunt him forever. “This mistake will follow Arte Moreno throughout his life and beyond…for sure.” Letting a generational talent walk, especially to the Dodgers is a mistake so massive that fans will never let him live it down. Yeah, “for sure” a blunder!
There were expressions of skepticism and sarcasm toward the Angels too. The rhetorical “Did Angels really think they’re doing a good job?” questions whether the team actually believed letting Ohtani walk was a smart move. “Oh please!” – the very idea is laughable. “Like are you for real?” is a statement of utter disbelief, as if the decision was so ridiculous it’s hard to even comprehend.
The Angels fans expressed deep nostalgia and longing for Shohei Ohtani. They still wish his presence in the team. The “I miss this man every day” shows their emotions, emphasizing how much he meant to the fanbase.
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True, the difference between the two franchises has never been clearer, with one thriving and the other stuck in regret. As Ohtani continues to shine, the question lingers: How will the Angels ever recover from this?
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Did the Angels' mismanagement of Ohtani mark the biggest blunder in MLB history?
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