The sports world is full of marvels. And perhaps chief among them is that of Shohei Ohtani as he continues to baffle MLB with his two-way exploits. When the LA Angels took on the Houston Astros in a 6-0 drubbing on April 21st, Ohtani looked to be at his pitching best only a few weeks into the season. Even snagging another MLB record, Ohtani recorded a game performance for the ages at the Minute Maid Park. And he earned plaudits from one of the game’s greats in Dusty Baker, who acknowledged the player’s performance with some words of wisdom from Hank Aaron.
Dusty Baker, a former player himself, was on the team with Hank Aaron while they were both playing for the Atlanta Braves, where Baker made his debut. After completing his career, Baker moved into coaching and now works with the Houston outfit as their general manager. But he still hasn’t forgotten the words of the game’s greats. Speaking in a press conference after a loss to the LA Angels, Baker spoke about Aaron’s opinion about scary pitching. And how Ohtani was the perfect representative for the example.
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Dusty Baker remembers Hank Aaron’s words
Speaking to reporters and asking about if it was scary to face Ohtani, Baker handed the media a great nugget. Remembering advice from Hank Aaron, Baker said, “He used to tell us that the most dangerous pitcher to face was a very relaxed pitcher and he seemed very relaxed.”
Perhaps the reason behind a complete shutout for the Astros was Shohei Ohtani. After securing some runs in the opening 2 innings of the game, Ohtani took the mound for a memorable performance. He pitched 5 perfect innings before allowing a walk in his sixth and then retiring from the mound.
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The media asked Baker about Ohtani’s performance from the mound and the manager only had praise to give. Said Baker, “I don’t think he made any mistakes and if he did we fouled them off.”
Baker was of the opinion that the runs conceded by the Houston Astros in their first two innings relaxed Ohtani and allowed him to pitch at his best. And whether at his best or not, Ohtani certainly managed a stunner of a game.
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But what do you think of his performance? Could Ohtani have pushed for a better batting record? Do you think he should have delivered more offensively?