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The story
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the September 2 (local time) game against the Cardinals, and the team lost 6-8 in 10 innings. Tokyo Sports reports that criticism of Ohtani has intensified in the US following the game. On 5ch threads, opinions split between those praising his return from injury and continued two-way play — “8 wins and 30 home runs is plenty” — and harsher takes calling the season’s trajectory concerning, given a strong first half followed by a second-half slide. Discussion continued without a clear consensus on whether the slump stems from his injury or changes in his personal life.
Thu, Sep 3, 22:09
Tokyo Sports WEB
Four strikeouts was just the entry point to something more unsettling. Dodgers pitcher-hitter Shohei Ohtani (32) went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the Cardinals game at home at Dodger Stadium on the 2nd (the 3rd in Japan time), and the team lost 6-8 in 10 innings. But what’s stirring up more talk in the US than the result itself is the harsh language now being directed at Ohtani.
Source: topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp / Original article here
What people said
Now it's 'Ohtani is finished' hysteria that's kicked off
I just want him to keep quiet like this for now
I'd say the guy who was pitching in the first half is on another level
Ohtani barely pitches and doesn't even play defense lol
This is just karma.
Ahh, that feels good.
He looks like he's lost his focus.
Is it the injury, is it mental, or both?
It's just not clear what's behind it.
Ever since he got pushed too hard by 'Rushing' and cranked it up to throw 160 km/h (99 mph),
nothing's gone right for him.
That was the turning point.
Ichiro never had slumps or injuries.
Ohtani's amazing too, but I think Ichiro is the greatest Japanese player active in the 21st century
Seven straight batting titles plus Gold Gloves in Japan, then 10 straight years of 200 hits plus Gold Gloves starting from his rookie year in the US — and on top of that, Rookie of the Year, batting title, stolen base title, and Silver Slugger in his rookie season
He looks exhausted.
Surprisingly, a lot of Japanese fans feel this way.
They're just not that into baseball.
something's really been off with him lately
I think it'd be fine for him to take a break
He should rest for a while
He's still the top of the top among Japanese athletes, and there's no athlete better than Ohtani in any sport, period
Guess he wasn't that great a player after all
It'd be one thing if he'd been terrible in the first half and put up numbers like that in the second half, but it's the other way around
These numbers shouldn't even be possible to begin with — fans watching have just gotten way too spoiled
since there's no end to this otherwise
Garandoo~ (a nonsense catchphrase from an old Japanese comedy bit, basically a jokey non-answer)
Ohtani seems like totally the latter type
Well, money's not exactly a worry for him, so that's probably fine
It'd be worse if he pushed himself and wrecked his knee badly enough to mess up his everyday life down the road
If he signs a contract now, teams are gonna lowball him for sure
he's been a mess lately
Getting pushed too hard by 'Rushing' and cranking it up to throw 160 km/h (99 mph)
is looking like it was the last we'll see of unicorn Ohtani
Background and key points of the debate
Ohtani is in the middle of an unusual season, trying to balance his return from injury as a pitcher with continuing as a two-way player. In the September 2 game against the Cardinals, he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, and the team lost in extra innings. Tokyo Sports reports that US media reaction has taken on a “he’s completely finished” tone. On the thread, opinions split between those defending his 8 wins and 30 home runs as a solid result for his first year back on the mound, and those who took issue with the poor sequencing — a strong first half followed by a second-half collapse. As for the cause of the slump, whether it’s the injury or a change in his personal life, posters on the thread have no way to directly confirm his condition, so it’s worth noting that this remains speculation either way. Given that other star players like Judge and Trout also take rest days regularly, the somewhat harsher scrutiny directed at Ohtani likely reflects the sheer size of his contract and the unusually high expectations tied to his status as a two-way player.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “[Dodgers] ‘He’s completely finished,’ fans say about Shohei Ohtani — Prolonged slump and injuries cast a shadow over his two-way future, per US reports.”
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