Shohei Ohtani Reflects on His Baseball Dream, Opens Up on Special Family Tradition That Led to Two-Way Superstardom

“Dream” is a beautiful word. Many see it, but only a few manage to live it. Shohei Ohtani is one of those rare individuals who have done both. Thousands of youngsters look at Ohtani and think to themselves, “I want to be like that man!” and that gives birth to a dream. So for a star who has given millions something to dream about, what does having a “dream” mean to Shotime?

Brand Ambassador Shohei Ohtani recently sat down with the President of Dip Corporation Hideki Tomita. While discussing the corporate philosophy of the company, the topic inadvertently shifted to dreams. The two-way phenom was quick to answer what dream means and how it has affected his life.

“I feel lucky,” says Shohei Ohtani about his dream

As the two began talking, Hideki Tomita remembered how he had heard that Ohtani loved the name of the company – DIP – which is an acronym for “Dream, Idea, Passion.” After Ohtani agreed, Tomita asked him an important question “What does the world dream mean to you?”. Ohtani shared how baseball was his dream.

“I have always been obsessed with baseball. My father and older brother both played baseball. So as a family, we have always been very involved in baseball. Because I had the dream of becoming a baseball player or a major league player, from the very beginning my determination never wavered,” Ohtani continued, “I am grateful that I was able to work towards that goal and I feel lucky that I had something to aim for from the beginning.”

When Tomita asked him whether he still had that dream, Ohtani was quick to answer that he still had a lot of things left to accomplish. Though 2023 checked one huge thing off of his list – the WBC. But there are many worlds left to conquer for this warrior. While the dreams of Ohtani have been clear for a long time, it was his father who helped him live those dreams.

Watch this story: Shohei Ohtani’s Two-Way Dream: Before Injury, He Always Wanted Both!

The big dreams of the two-way phenom

According to the Japanese publication Mainichi, Ohtani’s father Toru was an industrial-level player. The outfielder played for a corporate baseball team but never went professional. Shotime’s older brother Ryuta also played as well as coached the corporate baseball team. Toru’s decision to push Ohtani’s dream when he saw his brother Ryuta struggle.

“If only I had worked together with him more … I’ve got to give to Shohei what I couldn’t give to his older brother,” Ohtani’s father said, as reported by People.com.

But it looks like despite living his dream, Ohtani still has the hunger to achieve more. With the phenom looking closer than ever to the Fall Classic glory, one wonders how that little Shohei would’ve felt if he ever got to know what his adult self has achieved.

Read more: Shohei Ohtani Makes Special Appearance at Top Awards Show, Offers Touching Words as Spring Training Nears