Yankee Stadium's short porch beckons Shohei Ohtani, not that he needs it
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels runs the bases after his first inning two run home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2023 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Seeing the Angels take batting practice before Tuesday’s game at Yankee Stadium was standard operating procedure.
But Shohei Ohtani out there taking swings in the late afternoon sunlight?
That was about as common as witnessing people surfing in the Bronx.
This was a rarity, a truly special phenomenon, because Ohtani — who is followed around by dozens of reporters and TV cameras any time he gets within a few blocks of a ballpark — almost exclusively prefers to do his pregame preparation indoors, where his every movement can’t be tracked.
The last time Ohtani did so? It was at the World Baseball Classic, before Samurai Japan faced Mexico in the semifinals. The media that chronicles him regularly was surprised by his appearance, and stunned by the display he put on that evening. Ohtani launched rocket after rocket into the rightfield upper deck of loanDepot park, nearly clearing it on a few occasions.
His explanation then? Ohtani said he knew Mexico was watching, so he wanted to show them what would happen if any of their pitches wound up in the wrong place (I’m paraphrasing, but you get the idea). For the soft-spoken Ohtani, that was a bold statement.
Ohtani provided similar fireworks Tuesday, smacking what had to be a 500-foot rocket over the batter’s eye in centerfield, above Monument Park. There were other mammoth shots. But that was only batting practice, right?
The Yankees wished that were the case. Because once the stadium swelled to a crowd of 37,883 and Clarke Schmidt gave up a leadoff double to Taylor Ward in the first inning, Ohtani wound up in a favorable 2-and-0 count. You can guess what happened next.
Schmidt tried to get an 88-mph sweeper past Ohtani and instead watched it sail into the Yankees’ bullpen, a 391-foot shot, his fourth homer of the season. Later, when asked about his public power flex during BP, Ohtani didn’t cop to making any type of statement for the Yankees to see.
“I just wanted to see my ball’s flight,” Ohtani said through an interpreter after the Angels’ 5-2 victory, adding that such a thing would be “impossible” if he didn’t take BP outdoors.
We’ll take him at his word. That maybe Ohtani really did want to see how the ball was flying off his bat. With a first-pitch temp of 52 degrees (and dropping) along with a stiff breeze at times, there was an element of that. But we also wouldn’t be surprised if it was about something more, that Ohtani being on baseball’s biggest stage, with all the attention, wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.
Ohtani clearly enjoyed his WBC title run with Samurai Japan, and soaked up every minute of the international exposure, right down to striking out his Angels teammate Mike Trout to close the championship game. Now beginning his walk year, with a potential $600 million payday looming, why wouldn’t Ohtani want to bust out? And he understands there’s no better place than New York for those moments.
“He thrives in any atmosphere,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “You could put him on a back field where no one’s watching and he’s going to have the same competitive nature that he does in front of 40,000 at Yankee Stadium. That’s what makes him special and makes him one of the best in the game.”
Sure. But then how do you explain his stolen base in the fifth inning, his first since July 26 of last season? Was that just a coincidence? Or was Ohtani feeling something a little extra under these brightest of lights? When he bolted for second, Kyle Higashioka’s throw sailed into centerfield, allowing Ohtani to cruise into third. He then scored on Anthony Rendon’s sacrifice fly to solidify the Angels lead at 5-2.
Oddly enough, it was Aaron Boone who brought up Ohtani’s wheels before the game, an unexpected reply to a question about the former MVP’s supernatural skills.
“I think that's the last thing you talk about and you watch him get down the line and you’re like, ‘Oh and he’s the fastest guy out there,’" Boone said. “It's amazing what he's doing. It really is. What he's doing on the mound, in the batter's box, and then you add the speed element. Just a special talent that maybe we've never seen and maybe never will again.”
Ohtani’s two-run blast Tuesday was 100 years to the day that Babe Ruth opened Yankee Stadium with a home run of his own, so it was a fitting celebration from the modern heir to Ruth and this millennium’s two-way star. Ohtani said he was aware of the 100-year anniversary, and mentioned that he appreciates each trip here.
“It’s a beautiful field, passionate fans,” Ohtani said. “I always look forward to playing here.”
Whether the Bronx could ever be a more permanent home for Ohtani remains to be seen (though we highly doubt it). So just try to enjoy his visits as much as Ohtani does.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
