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[♪ rock music playing, Queen "We Will Rock You"]
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[commentator 1] Shohei Ohtani, he has done it, wow.
[commentator 2] Shohei, the unicorn, does it again.
[commentator 3] This guy's from another planet.
[commentator 4] With the paint on the four-seamer at 98.
[commentator 5] Dive. On turn! Right field, a bullet! And go!
[commentator 6] He's the modern-day Babe Ruth.
♪ Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise ♪
♪ Playing in the street gonna be a big man someday ♪
♪ You got mud on your face, you big disgrace ♪
♪ Kicking your can all over the place, singin' ♪
♪ We will, we will rock you ♪
[commentator 7] Ohtani, a laser and it's gone.
[commentator 8] Ohtani got it. He got it.
[commentator 9] Oh, out call.
[commentator 9 exclaims]
[commentator 10] First ball swinging, and first pitch crushing.
Got him!
[commentator 11] Seven incredible innings on the mound
and he just smashes a baseball a mile.
[commentator 12] Shotime.
[crowd cheering]
[♪ music stops]
[Martínez] Shohei Ohtani is the only player
in modern MLB history
with over 10 pitching wins, 40 homers,
and 15 stolen bases in the same season.
As the sole All-Star to be selected as a designated hitter and pitcher,
his strikeout and home run count
surpassed records set by Babe Ruth decades ago.
This is the story of the most unique player
in baseball history.
[♪ serene music playing]
Born in 1994,
Shohei Ohtani grew up in a small town in Iwate, Japan.
No one expected a legend in the making to come from such a rural area.
I grew up in the countryside of Japan with only a few baseball teams around,
where most of the teams had never been to big tournaments.
I was sure plenty of other players outshined me in talent.
[Martínez] This is where his journey began.
[Shohei] Sure, I wanted to become a great baseball player,
but had no conviction it would come true.
[birds chirping]
[Martínez] As a kid, Shohei watched Major League Baseball
and dreamed of playing there one day.
[Shohei] We had a computer at our house.
I definitely looked pitchers, but also searched for sequence shots
and videos of various players.
You started being able to look up these things online.
That process had a significant influence on me.
[commentator 1] Unemotional Ichiro Suzuki.
And a ground ball back at the middle,
and there it is, he's the new All-time Hit King
in Major League history number 258.
- My, oh, my. - [crowd cheering]
[commentator 2] Tonight, it was Hideki Matsui who delivered.
[commentator 3] Randy Johnson has thrown a perfect game.
[commentator 4] Pedro Martínez is on the mound.
[commentator 5] Barry Bonds has hit more home runs
than anyone who has ever played the game.
[commentator 6] That may be in the upper deck.
A mammoth home run by Ken Griffey Jr.
[Shohei] Even as a kid it was obvious.
The players in the MLB were on a different level.
Watching them on TV and other medias,
Ichiro-san, Matsui-san, before them were Randy Johnson, Pedro Martínez…
Barry Bonds, the list goes on, Ken Griffey Jr.
Even as a child, it was clear to me that MLB was the place for top-tier baseball.
I've always been the type to take on challenges.
I was inevitably drawn to see how far I could make it in the MLB.
[commentator] Around the horn of the bases from third to first, Matsui steps up.
Getting to start on the left field tonight at 259 average with 9 home runs.
41 runs…
I studied his batting form and this…
I bet everyone's done it.
[Shohei] I had a bat at home that I would swing whenever I wanted to.
I was just freewheeling back then.
I'm very flattered.
Knowing that Shohei, who has come so far and has a huge presence in the MLB,
looked up to me when he was in little league is meaningful to me.
I'm very happy to hear that.
[laughs]
I doubt he wants this.
[exclaims]
Thank you.
This is awesome. [chuckles]
I'm not really the kind of person who likes to ask for favors.
- I will treasure this. - [commentator] Pedro started to laugh,
because, he said, "Well, you're right, I wasn't feeling well.
[Martínez] In 2009,
Shohei watched Matsui and I face off in the World Series.
[commentator] …to the left-handed hitting DH.
[Shohei] Pedro Martínez is one of my favorite pitchers.
Particularly, the earlier days of his career
were what I really enjoyed watching.
Seeing players like him and the handful of Japanese players who made it in the MLB,
facing off on the big stage of the World Series was a special moment for me.
Especially since I was a fan of both players.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] Pedro's pitch to Matsui.
And a flyball in the right, down the line.
Gone. Two-nothing, New York.
[Shohei] Yes, I saw it. A home run into the right field.
Pedro Martínez might not be a big-bodied athlete, but despite that,
he efficiently imparts power to the ball.
Not to mention his repertoire.
[soft grunt]
Compared to him, I'm on the larger side of pitchers.
My size actually makes it difficult for me to pitch like him.
I knew I needed to practice a lot more to do what he was doing.
If a pitcher with a large build like mine can execute such moves,
I believe that player would perform very well.
[commentator 1] Five strikeouts already. Michael Busch, the batter.
Swing and a miss. Michael Busch gets blown away with 100.
[indistinct shouting]
[commentator 2] Lowest opening average in March and April since 1920s.
So over 100 years. Minimum 770 innings.
And Shohei Ohtani is at the top of the list.
Look at the names on there, like Pedro Martínez and Bob Feller.
- One, two. Eddie? - [Eddie] Yes, he wins. Yeah.
[commentator 2] Yes, he did.
[commentator 3] Shohei Ohtani is on the mound tonight
and could be the right guy on the mound, certainly for the halos tonight.
There's the fastball getting a check swing and a miss for strike three.
[commentator 4] Shohei tying Babe Ruth on the all-time strikeout list
as far as the pitcher and hitter.
Babe Ruth both at 501, two-way stars The Babe and Shohei.
[commentator 5] Think Shohei is going to beat it.
Peña swings and misses. Nasty sweeper from Shohei.
Second strikeout for Ohtani.
[commentator 6] Passes Babe Ruth now,
two-way stars on the all-time strikeout list.
[commentator 5] Really, nothing like it in the history of Major League Baseball.
I'm thankful for him being a great example for me.
[commentator] Starting pitcher. Announcers. Fans.
You got to love what you saw here tonight.
Goes for the high fastball.
Strikeout number 17 for Pedro Martínez.
Throughout the long history of baseball, there have been many pitchers.
But delivering a smooth pitch like his,
there aren't many pitchers who can match that.
Of course I'm probably biased.
[chuckles]
I'm really, really proud to see where he comes from
and how he actually had that dream from so far out.
[Martínez] I grew up just like Shohei. Just like that, open fields.
I was also very free to move around.
I'd like to be outside, exposed to nature and free spirit.
But I also had the dream of becoming a baseball player.
You know who really deserve a lot of credit?
I think it's his parents, for educating this kid.
I mean, make him so committed to what he wanted.
My parents took me to baseball practices every week.
[Shohei] They let me pursue what I wanted. I also took swimming lessons at that time.
Mm.
That was the role my parents fulfilled…
How should I say this?
[Shohei murmurs]
They are wonderful parents, but not my mentors.
I really respect my parents for who they are,
but hearing the exact same words
from a teacher I really respect at school hits differently than
hearing them from my parents.
There's a difference to how those words convey meaning to me.
I love my parents and am thankful for their support.
[Shohei] I would never have been able to do any of this without them.
But when it comes to the question of the most influential person in my life,
that's a different story.
Back when we were negotiating to bring him to the Fighters,
his mom was always there for us.
There was a sense of generosity about his parents.
They care for him a lot and love him dearly,
yet they always let him decide for himself.
His dad taught him the basics of baseball, like playing catch and running hard.
Teaching him those important things had a huge impact on him.
[♪ suspenseful music playing]
[commentator] The 3-2.
- Ohtani hits it hard and a diving stab. - [crowd cheering]
From his D's, the throw, not in time.
Ohtani, big, strong and he's too fast.
[Martínez] As a freshman in high school,
Shohei mapped out his goals on a "dream board".
His dream was to be drafted first by eight pro teams,
which he planned to achieve
by perfecting eight factors of his game,
each with eight smaller goals.
This included physicality, mentality,
luck, control,
and humanity amongst others.
It's quite impressive.
I'm more impressed about this,
about how he had it in his mind before then
than what he's doing.
Because it's hard to draw your dream and go and achieve it.
[Martínez] I-I wish, I wish I could have.
But I never thought about it.
I… I had so many uncertainties
when it came to baseball and it wasn't easy.
And I know it's not easy for him, but this is quite impressive
to draw your dream…
in a piece of paper and especially at such a young age.
It's-- It's probably more impressive than the things he's doing in baseball.
Wow. This should be in the Hall of Fame already.
This should be in the Hall of Fame.
[awkward chuckle]
This is embarrassing. [chuckles]
Honestly… that was…
That was supposed to be something between just me and myself.
I wasn't ready for that to be exposed. [laughs]
I had hoped to keep that locked in a place where no one could find it.
Oh…
2010? He would have been in high school.
First of all, to be "drafted first by 8 teams"…
[chuckles]
I never had a goal that big.
He wrote this in his freshman year?
I doubt any other players in the league could come up with a plan like this.
[commentator] He struck him out.
CC Sabathia with a complete game shut out,
and this is his sixth complete game as a New York Yankees…
Obviously writing this down
and being able to, you know, to execute this plan is amazing.
I mean, I read everything he wrote down, arm care and, you know, flexibility
and stability and all those things that he has written down on that paper.
He's going to be in that MVP Cy Young race every single year
and will definitely lead him to the Hall of Fame.
[sucks teeth]
In the early stage, I think it helps to put in writing.
People have a tendency to forget.
Writing and posting notes where you can see them is a simple act,
but I think it's effective. As you continue what you've written,
the things you need to do will eventually become second nature.
There're many ways to go about it. It's not about which one is right.
This is simply one approach.
I think it's worthwhile.
What led to him kinda draw in his dream.
And how is he able to put it all together,
did he know his body that well?
Did he know, uh, that he was going to be that kind of athlete?
I-- I'm so intrigued to know how he prepared himself so well.
It's just what came to mind. [chuckles]
I wasn't trying to think too hard.
It was simply a list of what was important to me at that time.
I chose and wrote down what I saw as being necessary.
That's really all that was.
[Martínez] At six, Shohei wrote that his favorite sport was baseball.
His dream job was to be a baseball player.
And as an adult, he wanted to be ordinary.
[players shouting indistinctly]
This is from first grade?
This really surprises me.
You'll have to ask him why he wrote this. I wonder what's behind his words.
I'd love to know the answer.
Does it mean, as a first grader, he already felt that he wasn't ordinary?
There must've been something that made him stand out from others.
What impresses me is that even as a first grader,
he has an understanding about humility, that you shouldn't brag about yourself.
It shows how he knew that actions speak louder than words.
His parents deserve even more credit for what they've taught him.
[exclaims]
When I was reading, I… [stutters]
I said this is not, you know, normal.
And certainly he's not just anybody.
He's not normal.
Now, I'm intrigued to really, really get to know Shohei.
I was just a normal kid.
A slightly larger-than-average kid.
Actually, I was probably way larger than average in middle school.
[Martínez] At 18, Shohei was scouted to be a pitcher in the US.
However, a pro team in Japan made an offer that caught his attention.
He was given the opportunity to be both a pitcher and a hitter,
something that hadn't been seen in over decades.
I think when you really look at that decision in 18,
and not a lot of people put a weight on it,
but I do and I know Shohei does.
[Balelo] That was a big decision.
And I really believe that there could have been two paths in a player's career.
I really do.
I think it's that sliding door and it's door A or it's door B.
And they allowed him to enter door A.
And start in the big leagues, and then we saw the rest from there.
Did very well.
But if he would have been in door B,
and he would have started possibly in the minor leagues,
we have no idea what could have come from this.
They might have labeled him just as a pitcher, just as a hitter.
We might have not been able to see
this special situation develop the way it did.
[♪ upbeat music playing]
[Shohei] The offer to play as a two-way player
first came from the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Initially, I had hoped to go directly to the US after high school.
Back then, aside from the Fighters,
all of the other Japanese teams only wanted me as a pitcher.
There were also offers from some US teams,
but they also only saw me as a pitcher.
It was very clear that no one really seemed interested in me as a hitter.
So the Fighters were the only team to propose such an idea.
I thought it through and made my choice.
[deep breath] Ah…
In the end, that was the path I decided to pursue in my career.
It's important to develop your own style. As I listened to Shohei,
I could see that he was more confident as a hitter than a pitcher.
It seems he had been aware of the choices he was making from the beginning.
[Matsui] So in that sense,
it appeared that he was the one who wanted to continue on his own volition,
and the Fighters provided the environment for him to pursue his challenge.
That's very intriguing to me.
[commentator] And to the count.
Darvish sets the pitch in their strike three called…
Since Shohei couldn't have been posted to MLB without the Fighters' approval,
I'm sure he had discussed it for a number of years.
[Balelo] You know, there's 30 teams over here
and all 30 teams scout what we call the Pacific Rim.
And, uh, it was pretty well-advertised
that Shohei was really looking to come over
and play in Major League Baseball.
And he really had a strong desire out of high school
before he became a Fighter, to come over.
Mr. Kuriyama had a very good rapport with Shohei and the family,
and so they came to an understanding
that whenever Shohei felt like it was time to come over
and get an opportunity to play in the United States,
that they would grant him and honor that, you know, his wishes to come over.
And his story was a great story.
Nobody wants to grow up just being a pitcher.
If you look at, you know, youth sports and high school baseball,
the best player is usually the shortstop, the pitcher, the best hitter
and all these different things in one.
And like I said, I mean, you know,
he's making it so kids don't have to choose
and, you know, making it so kids can be, you know, both
and pursue that dream as, you know, being a dual, a hitter and a pitcher,
because that's how you start playing the game.
And that is our dream as kids is to, you know, hit home runs
and to strike guys out.
And this guy is both in one.
So, you know, he's living out, I think, every baseball player's dream.
That's definitely not the case at a professional level.
It's possible until high school.
[Matsui hesitates]
[Matsui] In high school, they don't play games every day like the pros do.
Maybe at a tournament it could happen.
At the high school level,
a player who can play any position, pitch, and hit well is likely to lead the team.
Once you reach the professional level, you have to make a decision.
It's very normal to choose a specialty to focus on.
The biggest reason was their proposal to let me try both.
[Shohei] I hadn't thought of that possibility.
Until then, there weren't any teams that considered me as a hitter.
Amidst all this, when Kuriyama-san suggested that
I try for both, it got me thinking, "I could give it a try."
That's where the whole conversation began.
Had he chosen one position, I assume he would've thrived in the US much sooner.
When it came to doing both…
[mutters]
…there was a question of how far he could really go.
I wanted him to truly excel at both, at a level where
he can compete in the MLB.
He had the potential, and I was determined to get him to that level.
[sighs] I sometimes wonder…
Was he truly convinced that I could genuinely become a two-way player?
I would love to know the truth about what he thought back then.
I see him as one of the very few people who believed in me,
but did he see it as a 100% attainable goal?
Or maybe, at that point,
the team was just trying to test things out and see the outcome.
When I chose to join the MLB, some members of the ball club actually told me,
"We never really thought you could do it."
I can totally understand. So perhaps, for Kuriyama-san as well,
it's understandable if it was simply a strategy to recruit me to their team.
If I failed to do both, I could opt for just one.
I knew those were generally the expectations around me back then,
but I was willing to take a bet on my determination to make it work.
It naturally makes me wonder Kuriyama-san's… well,
his true intention at that time.
How much faith did he have in my potential?
[Shohei] From the Fighters' perspective, I can see it was a win-win either way.
Either of the result should have been a success for them.
If my hitting failed, they could simply use me as a pitcher.
Once drafted, I would be at the mercy of whatever the team decided to do.
Given that, I figured I might as well take the chance.
I felt I could pull it off.
I was happy to have the opportunity to prove it.
I was very sure he could do it.
Shohei as a hitter and a pitcher,
I had no doubt that both aspects of him would be the best in Japan.
[Kuriyama] That was one side of my intention.
Mr. Yoshimura, the GM of the Fighters back then, and I
had extensive talks and came to a conclusion.
We had five years.
If Shohei didn't make it to the MLB in five years,
then we'd failed him, that's how much talent he had.
That's how we went about it.
[camera shutters clicking]
[Shohei] My ultimate dream was to make it as a player in the MLB.
While that final goal didn't change,
another dream emerged within me, to become a successful two-way player.
With a new aspiration, I aimed to thrive as a two-way player on the global stage.
Darvish-san had left the Fighters before I joined.
So I ended up inheriting his jersey number 11.
- [Shohei] There was some tension there. - There was.
Some people thought it was too early for the number 11 to be passed on.
It's a special number to the team,
and to Darvish-san. It was an honor to get to wear it.
It felt different from any other number.
Yes, there were some issues about this.
[Darvish] I knew that the scouts and the team had done their research on Shohei
and it showed how high their expectations were.
Number 11 isn't mine to begin with.
[Darvish] It was just the number I pitched with.
Some said, "Shohei hasn't earned it yet."
But I never saw it that way.
Rather,
I knew the team valued the number, so when they passed it to him so soon,
it made me very excited and eager to see the kind of exceptional player he was.
[CC Sabathia] Like I said, I mean, him being able to play
those, those first couple of years in Japan as a hitter and a pitcher
to set him up perfectly to be able to come over here
and have the confidence and have the routine
to know what he's doing,
to be able to do both of those things at a high level.
So I think, you know, he did the perfect thing
of not coming over here when he was 18, right out of high school,
and being able to develop and learn how to have the right routine
to come over here and make this impression on everybody.
While people know how hard it is to become a professional ball player,
Shohei needs to work twice as much to reach that level.
[Kuriyama] His ability wasn't the issue.
His body would be the one to reach its limit.
I had to figure out how to balance the two.
That was one of the crucial points.
I never told Shohei what he needed to do.
As he kept pushing forward, I was just there for him,
making sure he had a clear path to move on.
He was doing his thing. My job was to back him up.
What he was trying to achieve wasn't something you can teach.
[crowd chanting]
[crowd roaring]
[commentator in Japanese] 102.5 mph, a new record!
[crowd cheering]
[♪ upbeat music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Martínez] At the Nippon-Ham Fighters, Shohei broke boundaries and records
in hopes of one day making it to the majors.
[bird chirping]
He must have been really, uh, confident.
Normally, you don't…
you don't know what's going to happen.
You're not confident.
You can dream about it and chase your dream.
But I guess Shohei was unique
every time he thought about what he wanted to do
because sometimes we want it.
Yes, we want it,
but not all the time we get it.
Hmm…
Maybe he thought he had what it took. He felt he could pull it off.
But I think he was more driven by the idea of doing what no one else had.
At least for me, that would have been the case.
You'll never know until you try. [chuckles]
Going for what nobody's done before…
Maybe 100 years ago, there might've been players doing both.
But in today's competitive world,
attempting and achieving what's never been done?
The challenge itself must've been the biggest drive for him.
Even if you fail, it's still worth the ride.
After five, six or seven years, I was sure he'd be physically ready
to handle this tough challenge.
For that period while he was building up, he mustn't overdo it.
This was a crucial rule for me, but Shohei sometimes fought back.
[Kuriyama] He'd insist on playing, especially for important games.
We had a lot of those exchanges over email.
However, it was my role to stop him when I needed to.
In order to succeed in the MLB,
he had to build a solid foundation in Japan.
I truly believed that was his shortest path.
I was sure that Shohei would understand, and he eventually did.
However, whether my approach truly succeeded or not,
we'll only know when Shohei stops playing baseball.
I honestly can't tell which was the right path to choose.
I believe that going directly to the US should be a viable option.
I really can't say which is better.
For me, it wasn't much about staying in Japan,
it was more about the opportunity to be a two-way player.
I don't know what it feels like to be him.
He's the first guy to do what he's doing.
I was trying to convince the Cubs that we could do it
in a National League setting,
you know, where… that he can both pitch and play the outfield,
which you would have had to have done to do that.
[Joe] A lot of people were just skeptical of all that stuff.
I don't know. I mean, here's a guy that came here
for a specific reason and everybody had spoken with,
talks about him being one of the best players they've ever seen.
So my, as a manager of the Cubs at that time,
my evaluation process was how do we get them,
get them to do both things in the National League.
He signed up for a reason. This is what he does.
And he could pitch and also hit.
Everybody was shying away from that.
I didn't want… I didn't get it. Quite frankly, I didn't get it.
Everybody was willing to at least explore the idea of allowing him to do both.
Because it's not like he hasn't done it before.
He was successful in Japan doing both.
Well, when it comes to something that you really want to achieve,
there would always be some kind of criticism you need to face.
There would always be an obstacle that you need to overcome.
At the end of the day, I know myself better than anyone else,
and no one knows what I'm striving for better than I do.
I think I'll only be able to reflect on what I dedicated myself to
at the end of my career, after giving everything I have as a player.
From what I know of Shohei,
he has always been very sure of himself, even from a very young age.
I know he's not the kind of person that would be easily deterred.
[murmurs]
He had the ability to and we were going to let him try to be a two-way player.
And I think that was important to Shohei.
The most important factor was how serious they were about me playing both positions.
Given the limited time and few meetings,
it wasn't really possible to fully gauge their intentions.
But in the end, I had conversations with a few teams and decided.
How did Shohei…
How did he make the decision?
[Balelo] You know why did he choose the Angels?
I don't know. You're going to have to ask Shohei that.
[murmurs]
I thought he would end up choosing either the Rangers or the Padres,
but he surprised everyone and signed with the Angels.
I never had a chance to find out his reasons.
You'll have to talk to Shohei. He has that answer.
In our meetings with Shohei, with Nez, um,
we were very upfront, very honest, and what we felt about Shohei,
we absolutely felt that he was a two-way player,
or I'm not sure if other teams had that in mind or not.
I really couldn't answer that.
To be really honest, I went with my gut feeling.
When I chose my high school,
when I first decided to try for the MLB at 18,
and when I ended up with the Fighters, my decision was made the same way.
In the end, I rely on my intuitions.
That might sound arbitrary but it isn't.
For example, if I'm given three options,
I'll look at all three,
and examine every aspect of them so I can truly understand what I'm given.
But at the end of day,
I go with what feels right to me. That's how it works.
It's a little bit difficult to explain.
It's similar with your batting stance.
It's about choosing what matches the vision of your future self.
When considering what could be the best decision
for both myself and those around me,
the Angels just seemed to stand out the most, that's the main reason.
Of course, there were the meetings along the way,
I talked to people from various teams.
So I believe my intuition was based on
all of those meetings and conversations I had prior to making my decision.
Ultimately, it led to my decision to go with the Angels.
His gut feeling?
I expected a more specific reason than that,
although going with your gut doesn't sound bad at all.
It's your life. Relying on your intuition might work the best.
You know, Shohei has been asked that question,
and his answer is, "I just felt it.
You know, I just felt like it was the right place for me."
And he felt comfortable.
Um… good people.
Good location. You know, maybe the right division.
You know, there's all kinds of things.
But at the end of the day, he was open to playing on the East Coast.
He was open to playing in the middle of the country.
He was open to playing on the West Coast.
And, um, I can honestly say that he really was,
because when you think about the teams that he ended up narrowing it down to…
half were NL teams and half were AL teams.
Actually, it was more on NL than there was on the AL side, I believe.
So, um…
And that was before the DH rule.
So an NL team that was going to get Shohei would be looking at him as a pinch hitter
and allowing him to hit while he pitched.
He was gonna be limited at that point,
unless he picked up a glove, went to the outfield,
or maybe went to first base.
So that was something an NL team was going to have to juggle a little bit,
knowing that the DH rule was possibly coming.
And eventually it did.
Starting next year,
I would like to formally announce that…
I plan to go and do my best in the USA.
[♪ light upbeat music playing]
[Martínez] After five years in Japan,
Shohei finally decided to come to the US.
He had chosen the Los Angeles Angels.
[♪ upbeat music intensifies]
Thank you very much. And, uh, Shohei, welcome.
Thank you.
[crowd cheering, clapping]
[crowd cheering]
[in English] Hi. My name is Shohei Ohtani.
[crowd cheering]
He's 23 years old.
So there's a lot of growth there,
both on the physical side, on the mental side,
and on his baseball side…
He struggled his first spring training in 2018, really struggled.
[Balelo] Uh, what he does is very difficult and challenging.
But it was Shohei was the one saying,
"I'm going to go ahead and play this thing out." And he did.
[in Japanese] The spring training in 2018 was a disaster. My results were terrible.
But in a way, that's what I had signed up for.
Time is limited for a pro baseball player.
If I make it to 50, that would be a miracle in itself.
I want to dedicate my time and push my limits to see how far I can go.
You could say that it's sort of my hobby.
While I struggled with my hitting, I was also excited
and aspired to achieve results.
I didn't expect to do well right off the bat.
That goes for when I entered high school, or when I started playing professionally.
It almost never went well from the start, but it was my decision to be there.
The excitement of following my dream outweighs any of those difficult times.
[♪ hopeful music playing]
It's hard to play Major League Baseball, right?
But it's even harder when you come to a foreign land
and don't know the language
and you're trying to navigate all of that stuff.
[CC Sabathia] You have to give these guys credit.
The guys from the DR,
the guys from the Asian countries that come over here
and can perform at a high level in a foreign place
without knowing the language
and really understanding, you know, things, the first couple of years.
Like even my transition from coming from Vallejo, California,
to, you know, on these big stages,
whether it was Cleveland, Milwaukee or New York.
It was a hard transition. You know what I'm saying?
It's a hard thing to get used to.
And for us as teammates, you have to have sympathy
and understand what these guys are going through
and try to help out as much as you can to help our team win.
When you come from a totally different culture, totally different league,
and you have to come over,
it's a daunting task.
There's always a question of, you know, "Can I do this?",
no matter how talented you are.
He's a non-roster guy at this point.
Remember, he signed a minor league contract
because he came out early from Japan,
so they could have easily sent him to Triple-A to go find himself.
I felt like I was stuck during spring training.
How can I say this…
I'm not really the kind of person who likes to ask other people for their help.
There were moments at camp when I felt hopeless.
But in the end, I trusted myself and what I've always done.
It was still spring training,
I had enough time and was open to making adjustments.
I made big changes in my swing and tweaked many things.
That's how I've managed to get this far.
A lot of people doubted him.
There were a lot of media. There were a lot of people.
A lot of industry people that said, "Wait a second, he's not getting it done."
On their first take and their first glimpse of him in spring training in 2018
when he had that first opportunity to start in Oakland.
[clicks tongue] We saw Shohei Ohtani.
[♪ electronic music playing]
[crowd cheering, clapping]
[commentator 1] Now the one, two. Swing and a miss.
Down goes Semien, one down.
[commentator 2] But that's how good. And I'm sure Xavi is very impressed now.
So Ohtani goes after the first pitch he sees as a major leaguer,
and he's got himself a base hit.
So Shohei Ohtani does not…
We wouldn't have maybe had that opportunity
if he was with a different organization…
that said, "You know what, he needs a little more seasoning."
[Balelo] You know, the rest is history.
[♪ suspenseful music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[CC Sabathia] If he comes to the New York Yankees
and we're in Tampa,
and he struggles as a hitter that first year in spring training,
they immediately just put him on the mound and like, "Hey, you're just a pitcher.
You know, the bat doesn't play here,
and we're just going to keep you on the mound."
Him going to Anaheim and, you know, not being a huge, huge media presence
and him being able to like, you know, figure out his swing over here
and kind of get rid of the leg kick
and just, you know, go from, you know, just with the heel,
like kind of like the little heel tap,
I think that helped out big time.
And, you know, his developing and being able to turn into what he's turned into,
which is what I think is,
you know, probably one of the best baseball players ever.
I think those decisions have set him on that course.
[birds chirping]
I just think we saw the talent.
Shohei didn't really need any major overhauls.
And I think the biggest thing was we didn't want to put too much on him
until he felt comfortable.
Shohei evolved the way you would expect a young player to evolve.
He just didn't go from here to here.
He went from here to here and will continue to grow.
We've built a great relationship so far.
We enjoy working together every day. I'm confident I made the right choice.
I'm very relieved to hear that. What I constantly tried to tell Shohei,
even when he headed to the US, is that "what matters is what Shohei decides."
Whatever you decide to do, the gods of baseball will support you.
I told him not to get caught up in what others tell him to do.
Looking at him making his own decisions and trusting in himself,
it genuinely makes me happy.
And it's easy for people to maybe look at this and possibly,
um…
criticized the decision because he hasn't been in the postseason in five years.
But, you know, things happen for reasons.
And I believe that…
his choice was the right choice at the time,
and it could be the right choice for the rest of his career.
And if you're not in the right clubhouse or in the right organization,
it could be, you know, um, not a great experience.
For rookies or players with limited MLB experience,
this might seem exaggerated,
but it often feels like you have no rights.
People will nitpick everything you do.
All I wanted was to play baseball here,
so I had a tough time understanding that mentality.
I struggled to be who I was in baseball.
And, uh…
I can only tell you that my dream was unexpected.
At the time I came up, there were a lot of doubts.
And I couldn't help but to second-guess myself,
my height, my size, my abilities.
Based on what others said,
I became a little bit shy, uh,
I became less confident.
I… I was humbled by the game,
I was humbled by other people,
but I… I never let go of my dream.
That was the biggest thing I ever did,
was to never quit.
And I was close and I thought about it,
but I'm glad I didn't.
[sucks teeth] Hm…
I had put in my time with the Fighters. I developed my own routine and style,
and I believe it was on that basis I was signed on.
Yet, back then, I often got laughed at when I did things my way.
[clears throat]
It was a tough time for me.
The MLB has made big changes since then. Today's clubhouse has a different energy.
But those first few years were a real struggle for me.
There were many times I wanted to return to the Fighters.
Coming from where I came from, I grew up where I played baseball.
It was nothing but Black kids.
I mean, we played, we were really good too.
We played at a high level,
but there was only people that looked like me,
and I get to the minor leagues
and there's nobody on my team that looked like me.
And as I even go up even higher,
then there's nobody even around that looks like me, you know?
So, yeah, I mean, it's tough and I speak the language,
so I can only imagine coming here from the DR
or coming here from Japan or Korea and trying to fit in and play baseball.
Like it's… it's-it's pretty rough. It's pretty hard.
So the fact that we have the translators now,
we have the different things in place that can help, you know, um,
guys throughout the minor leagues and even in the big leagues,
I think it's a big change in baseball,
and from what I've seen in the 25 years that I've been in the game.
In my case, I haven't been through it myself.
I've never played for another MLB team, so I can't say for sure.
But you do hear rumors, and you take those in as information.
Because you're a rookie or Asian, things can unfold in certain ways.
Since I tend to inflate my assumptions negatively
and often expect the worst, that was what I was prepared for.
But that wasn't the case. They were all really nice people.
It's true, how do I put it…
Everyone is very easy to work with.
I've never had any negative feelings
when it comes to relationships.
I'm definitely lucky. I find it a very good environment for me.
There have been tough times, including injuries,
but I'm very happy being able to come this far as a part of this team.
[commentator 1] Heads out toward the right-center field.
Going back on it is Zimmer.
- At the wall, goal! - [crowd cheering]
Big fly, Ohtani-san!
[commentator 2] Shohei Ohtani! His first major league home run!
[crowd cheering]
[♪ uplifting music playing]
[commentator 1] We felt something magical tonight.
He showed it on Sunday. [chuckles]
Uh…
Fortunately, I haven't really encountered those kind of issues.
I had a different outlook. I expected I'd be dealing with a lot more.
Especially among Angels fans, there's a homey vibe.
They made me feel very welcomed and supported me a lot.
[Shohei sucks teeth]
That's one of the reasons why I was able to focus on my performance.
I consider myself very lucky and thankful for my situation.
I am surrounded by an incredible support group.
Having Ippei-san help with the translation has been a big asset.
I consider his presence crucial.
You never know when a statement might be received differently.
For example, when it comes to jokes.
They can easily backfire due to misinterpretation.
He's very good at capturing nuances when he translates for me.
[Shohei] That has been definitely a huge help.
By the time Shohei came in 2018, things had greatly improved in every teams.
There was an ethical shift towards accepting one another.
So I can't really say if he had a similar experience as mine.
But in Shohei's case, I am sure he had his rough time.
His injury in the midst of all that media attention mustn't have been easy for him.
But I think when it's your dream
and it's something that you've been striving for
and it's your goal, um, in your mind you're ready.
You know what I mean?
So you just, you're gonna take on any challenge that comes with, you know,
your dream of being the best baseball player,
you know, that you can be.
[♪ light music playing]
[Martínez] Even then,
Shohei's path in the majors was filled with twists and turns.
[commentator 1] Aberdeen shortstop position to win.
- Omar Vizquel got-- - [screams]
[commentator 2] Got him in the elbow.
[commentator 1] He is a right-handed thrower
and is a left-handed batter.
You expose that throwing arm to a pitch inside.
[commentator 3] That's it for Ohtani, 66 pitches tonight.
I didn't get to experience his great pitching
because he hurt his arm his first year.
And it happened pretty quickly in a game where all of a sudden his velocity dropped
and didn't show a lot of pain, but the ball wasn't coming out of his hand
and it didn't take long for the diagnosis to come
that he needed Tommy John surgery.
But he still, he still wanted to hit,
and, um, he hit up until almost the end of the season.
Shohei was the one saying, "I'm not getting this surgery yet.
I'm gonna go ahead and play this thing out." And he did.
And he had a big month,
and it could have made the difference, uh, to be rookie of the year.
[in English] To all the Angles fans, thank you.
Hopefully I will not need this cheat sheet the next time I'm up here.
Thank you.
- [audience clapping] - [♪ uplifting music playing]
[Balelo] And that tells you a lot about his character
and his drive and his passion wanting to play
and see the year through.
And it was the right decision.
There's gonna be moments where his body is not going to respond like he wants.
You can have perfect mindset.
You can have perfect mechanics,
but there are days where your body just says no, you cannot execute,
fastball in, fastball away, slider or changeup.
[commentator] Look at this.
This is a guy that used to throw 98 to 100 miles an hour.
And these are the baby steps that you don't see
and we don't see as fans.
We're saying, "Well, the guy had Tommy John
and he'll be back by July and August."
I mean, it's amazing to watch this guy from like, what, 15 or 20 feet
- tossing that baseball. - [machine clunks]
[Shohei in Japanese] After the Tommy John surgery in 2019,
the following year was also a struggle.
I didn't feel that I was recovering how I should.
[sucks in teeth] I started to doubt.
I thought it might be better to focus on one position to obtain results.
That was the time when I honestly considered dropping the two-way path.
I mean, 2020, let's just call it was a very rough year in general.
And when you take a player out of his routine in his element,
it's tough to be successful.
So 20 was a rough year, and that was Joe's first taste of Shohei.
In 2020, because there was a lot of issues,
he had coming off injuries and he wasn't quite the same.
But 2021, um, it was, it became more…
[clicks tongue] …galvanized through our conversations,
how we're gonna do this.
- And it worked out pretty well. - [machine thuds]
There's one thing I didn't get the chance to ask Joe.
Back in spring training in 2021, I was called into the manager's office.
I was told there would be no more rules for me,
and they'd play me without any restrictions that season.
Joe was there along with our GM, Perry Minasian.
When I first heard them tell me that,
how do I put this?
I sort of figured they were giving me an ultimatum.
That this might be my last chance to prove I could play two-way.
[chuckles nervously]
At least that's how I took the conversation we had in that room.
Obviously I can't be sure what was on their minds.
Maybe they meant,
"We are counting on you",
or it could've been a final warning.
As a player, that's not something you can ask the manager about.
But now that he's not in charge anymore,
perhaps this is an occasion for me to approach him directly.
[chuckles nervously]
Quite frankly, Sho, I never doubted that you could.
[Joe] I didn't, um…
Uh, when he came back, 2021 spring training,
was a totally different player.
I mean, I'd seen him in 2020. Things weren't quite right.
His hitting was off. His throwing off was off.
His throwing motion was off.
But he came here for a reason. You came here for a reason.
So for me, it was my responsibility to make this work.
There was never any doubt, um,
about wanting to do it from my perspective,
I thought I had to convince other people to give it an opportunity or try.
So Sho, for me, absolutely,
everything I said to you was from my heart, always will be,
and I thought you can do it and of course you have.
I'm glad to hear that.
So there wasn't any underlying meaning to what they told me.
I misunderstood their intentions.
However, I think that extra pressure actually helped me to perform better.
[Shohei] I was really disappointed
with my performance in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
I could understand if they felt things weren't going as they had hoped.
So, I entered spring training in 2021 with a strong determination.
Turns out the management had faith in me just as they said.
Uh…
Wanting to meet those expectations, I had a great season.
I think it worked out for the better that I misunderstood their words.
The fact that he thought we were there to tell him or ask him to not do that,
um, I guess I am surprised because that's the reason,
that's the point about asking questions or having conversations.
Sometimes you have the absolute wrong idea or impression
of what somebody's thinking.
But it tells you the type of person Shohei is, extremely humbled.
Like what are they coming in to tell me when they're thinking,
okay, we need you to be this guy and do both
and go out and run with it.
But he's thinking, are they gonna shut it down?
Are they gonna just shut me down on doing both?
So, I love the humbled approach by Shohei, but clearly that was never mentioned.
It was never even a thought,
and, um, oh, maybe it was one of their thoughts,
but it was never expressed to me.
Um, but yeah, they did just take off all the restrictions
and the restrictions were…
you know, certain rest days, pitch counts, you know,
there were a lot of things that days off after before, you know,
it was just, it was just too much.
[Balelo] It was simply put,
- Shohei is gonna do what he's gonna do. - [crowd cheering]
We ask one thing, communicate with Joe. Joe communicate with Shohei.
If he's tired, he'll tell you he's tired. He needs a day.
If not, let him go. Let him out there. That's what they did.
[Shohei] If you ask me,
from the perspective of the manager,
for better or worse, I'm just one piece for him to use in the game.
[inhales sharply, grunts]
[Shohei] That's merely a simplified way to look at it.
With 30 teams in the league, there are only 30 managerial positions,
while there are many players out there.
When it comes to strategy,
or perhaps the ability to lead a team, the managers look at the big picture.
Their impact on the team is far greater than any individual player.
I'm sure that's something I can't handle,
and I find their role absolutely remarkable.
It's not just a matter of respect, it's more than that.
They're extraordinary. There's so much to learn from them.
At least, that's how I see it.
[Joe] He observes everything.
He weighs everything that comes in his direction.
So as a manager, you better understand from the beginning, um,
he's not gonna come.
He's never gonna be disrespectful, ever.
Uh, but everything you say to him, he's gonna take it in and evaluate it.
Um…
And again, always with due respect to whomever, it's whoever his manager is,
and I'm here to tell you, I don't even know if he'd admit it.
There's times he absolutely disagreed with whether it was me or somebody else.
But he'll keep it to himself. He listens to everything.
He sees everything just like he does in the game of baseball.
He takes it all in.
He never speaks too quickly. He never speaks fast.
It's very, I'm not, the word, it's not guarded, it's evaluated.
Everything he does is evaluated.
[Balelo] That's the way he operates. He looks at everything.
If there's nine negative things and then there's that one positive,
he's looking at that positive and running with it
and trying to make the most of that to offset the other nine negative.
Here's the real question.
If Shohei did not like any of his managers,
the question is would he say anything about it?
I don't think so.
[commentator] …go nuts if he goes deep.
We felt something magical tonight.
He showed it on Sunday.
[crowd cheering]
Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
[commentator laughs]
[Balelo] Because the thing that Shohei does best…
is enjoys the game like he loves the game,
and he plays it with tremendous passion,
and I never want to take that away from him.
I don't want anything to get in the middle of that.
I agree. That's the fundamental reason why I play baseball.
Hmm…
When it comes down to it,
baseball is…
Even though baseball is my profession,
that's not all it is to me, it's more than a career.
[Shohei] Whether it's playing catch or hitting a pitch, it's what I love to do.
My love for the sport is what has driven me to this point.
Baseball has given me a purpose. It's become a way of life.
And this sentiment largely defines who I am today.
To be honest,
I don't really know what kind of influence I have on other people,
but I hope it's positive in some way.
Hmm.
That would be the reason enough to keep doing what I do right now.
Yeah, I wasn't like Shohei. [chuckles]
And I appreciate him, um, you know, sacrificing his life
to give us a great show.
You know what I mean? I appreciate that.
[CC Sabathia] But if you looked at me during my career,
you can see I was always thinking about other stuff.
[chuckles] Baseball was just something that I did,
and I was really good at and I loved to do,
but it wasn't kind of who I was, you know?
I mean, me and my wife got married really young.
I had kids really early
and that… those distractions helped me be a great baseball player.
Like me having a life outside of baseball really helped me
because if I would have just locked in on baseball,
this is one thing like I'm too obsessive
and I would have, I wouldn't have last very long.
I would have burnt out.
So having my wife, having kids, having other things
that I'm super interested in outside of baseball,
that helped me be a great player.
I see it differently.
He's achieved something no one else has.
How should I put it?
Calling him a "seeker of baseball" might not be quite right,
but I believe the journey he's on will inspire future generations.
Sorry, Shohei, but keep pushing forward. That's my genuine wish.
When he and I trained together…
[mutters]
…I ended up learning a lot from him.
The speed at which he improved was on a different level from anyone else.
Looking back now,
I've never encountered another athlete
who is already outstanding yet aims higher.
I'm very grateful to have shared such an experience with him.
It was a privilege.
We won't truly understand the extent of his success until he's done.
Everything looks great now,
but at times,
I question whether I really made the right choices.
All I can say is, I believe I've made the right choices.
Once you make a decision,
it sets you on a unique path, which leads you to a distinct experience.
And you can never compare it to what other options might have brought.
You've only got one path to take.
I've had bad seasons. I was injured.
But looking back at everything, I'm happy with the choices I made.
As for the future,
whenever I make a decision,
I'll reflect on it and believe it was the right call, and work to make it true.
[♪ pensive music playing]
[Martínez] Despite all the hardships, Shohei persevered.
[machine clunks]
[commentator 1] Got it, got it, got it!
[commentator 2] Oh, wow, where did that one go?
[crowd screaming]
[commentator 1] Oh, he's gonna get to jog around the bases!
[♪ upbeat music playing, Tainy x Bad Bunny "Mojabi Ghost"]
That's what is, gone!
He did it again!
- [commentator 2] They knew it off the bat. - [commentator 1] Wow!
He's a beast! [commentator 1 laughs]
He gets it done, wow!
- [commentator 2] That's gorgeous. - [commentator 1] Oh, yeah.
[commentator 1] Did he get it? Did he get it? He did, wow!
[commentator 2 laughs] Oh, my!
He did it!
[commentator 3] Throw him the crown. AL Player of the month.
[commentator 4] It is Shotime!
[announcer] The 2021 American League's Most Valuable Player, number 17,
Shohei Ohtani.
[Martínez] In 2021,
he unanimously won the American League MVP award,
the following year, he was runner up.
He became one of the best players in all of Major League Baseball.
[Joe] Shohei is a pitcher,
makes hitters look really bad based on command and movement,
and he knows what he's doing.
He's always creating out there in that blink moment
to make an adjustment, react without even thinking
and just do the right things.
His baseball acumen is as high as I've been around.
Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish
are so similar in so many things that they do,
both as a person and a human being and then as a pitcher and as an artist.
Shohei isn't afraid of challenging himself in a way I can't.
I recognize that and see it as a quality I wish I had.
I've never faced him in a game, but I'm eager to know what it would be like.
[inhales sharply]
I wonder how I would react once I step into the batter's box.
I'm really looking forward to that moment.
I get anxious when I struggle throwing strikes and keep pitching balls.
I don't know if Shohei feels the same anxiety in those situations,
but he pitches as if he's totally unbothered.
Shohei is fearless,
but the psychology part of the other players is really important,
and you have to really pay attention to it.
And that, that is the only part…
that he's gonna have to learn as he goes.
Pitching movement on the pitches is a God-given talent for him.
It's… It's also something you can work on.
But understanding what the other athlete is trying to do against you
is critical.
And I think that's the only part that Shohei is going to have to leave
to understand in the game.
Simply put, I imagine what would throw me off if I was the pitcher.
When I'm pitching, it's the opposite. I do what would bother me as a batter.
I think that's probably a different approach from other players.
But I still need more experience. Things have changed since my first year.
My pitching varies based on who the batter is and which team he's from.
My mentality is also affected.
As Pedro said, I need to gain more experience.
Batters adapt to any changes a pitcher makes.
Since Shohei is the only player in such a circumstance,
only he knows how being a pitcher benefits him as a batter.
I've never considered limiting myself to just one role,
so I'm not sure which approach is better.
But I can say that I always have two things to think about.
And I simply enjoy that.
[♪ lively music playing]
[Martínez] In 2023, Shohei wrote…
a new chapter in his story.
Team Japan finished in third place in the last two tournaments.
Guys, they always come in prepared.
They won the inaugural and second WBC.
So let's take a look at their roster.
This rotation highlighted by Shohei.
[newsreader] Actually on Samurai Japan and…
and that's a really important part of Japanese baseball culture
is the national team.
It's the national team up here and your club team is below that.
And so that's why there is continual play with the national team.
It'd be as if we had Team USA playing in tournaments every single year.
It's that important in the Japanese baseball consciousness.
As a result, I think you're gonna see him be very comfortable this spring.
Shohei messaged me to see if I would consider participating in the WBC.
He said he wasn't confident enough to win the championship without my help.
It's not that I was flattered by what he said.
Despite his consistent performance, he's still hungry for more.
The WBC is unrelated to the regular season.
Just how much does he want to win? [Darvish chuckles]
I guess he truly loves it.
I think it was already August when he reached out to me,
but his hunger for victory really struck me.
If you play long enough,
that kind of spirit fades away.
You start to see baseball more from a business perspective.
Even in a contract year, fully aware of the importance of his health,
he still took the risk of the tournament.
He said he wanted the title and needed to beat the US team.
He usually doesn't let people know his emotion,
but his determination was clear in his messages.
[chuckles]
[commentator 1] Shohei Ohtani second start here in the World Baseball Classic.
[commentator 2] Some filth off the table for strike three.
[commentator 3] He strikes out swing here against Ohtani and 102.
[commentator 4] One win away from playing for
a World Baseball Classic championship.
Here we go. Ohtani rips a piece into the right side of the field.
He ended the gap.
[crowd cheering]
Cut off by Thomas in center field.
Ohtani steps in second in the lead on double.
[commentator 5] The fans behind the dugout chanting "MVP. MVP."
[commentator 6] Mike Trout, oh, my goodness.
Trout's gonna stop at second. Oh, my goodness. What a clinic.
The two biggest stars in the world are gonna lead their teams on the field.
Mike Trout and Team USA.
Shohei Ohtani and Team Japan.
Near the end of the game, I checked if he still had enough stamina to play.
He gave a vague reply, like "probably".
I knew he meant, "send me out to close".
[birds chirping]
[♪ suspenseful music playing]
[♪ suspenseful music intensifies]
World Champion
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] They've been teammates for five years.
The best against the best.
The matchup we've all been wanting to see.
[Shohei] We had two outs and no runners on base.
By the time Mike Trout came up to bat,
it felt like the momentum was on our side.
[commentator] First time they'd ever faced each other.
Baseball wins tonight.
Here's the pitch and the dirt and 102.
[Shohei] The count was full. Reflecting on my pitch selection and
how the game had unfolded,
I felt everything was in place.
I sensed that the game was heading to a close with me striking Mike out.
[commentator] The final strike in the ninth inning.
Looking for heroics.
Three and two from Ohtani.
He throws, Trout strikes out. Swinging.
[crowd cheering]
Ohtani and Japan.
Celebrate a World Baseball Classic championship.
What an ending…
to an all-time tournament.
What a game.
From this tournament,
it's clear Shohei has now become a figure even MLB stars look up to.
When I first saw him play in high school,
I instantly noticed that he's special.
The future was in his hands, and the sky seemed to be his only limit.
My impression began to take shape during his time with the Fighters.
Now, I feel he's reached a point where his physical condition is no longer a concern.
I believe he feels the same way.
I'm finally seeing what I had always believed.
That incredibly talented high schooler has become a fully-fledged player.
That's my sentiment now.
I don't see myself as having done any favors for him.
I was just one of the many cogs in a machine
naturally drawn to support him.
[♪ emotional music playing]
[thunderous crack]
[whooshes]
[crowd cheering]
[Martínez] At the World Baseball Classic,
Shohei achieved his dream
of becoming one of the greatest baseball players in the world.
[♪ ambient music playing]
[clunks]
[crowd cheering]
Now that Shohei has won the WBC,
is he still writing down his dreams?
I don't write down my dreams like I used to.
But writing does help remind you of things you need to remember,
especially technical details. When it comes to baseball,
your skills might progress one day but deteriorate the next.
Just because it worked today doesn't mean it's right.
So I still keep track of my technical records.
I find those notes to be very useful when I want to reflect on myself.
Ideally, basic values shouldn't need to be written down,
Like making eye contact when greeting.
If you feel it hasn't become a habit for you yet, I recommend writing it down.
When you look at your note, it will always remind you to do so.
This is an effective process.
Once that habit becomes a part of you, you no longer need your notes.
And this is really the ideal outcome for every process you make.
I have a feeling he still keeps a list of his current tasks.
He probably wouldn't share it with anyone now,
but perhaps in 10 years, he might reveal it to us.
[Martínez] At 18, Shohei wrote,
"Life doesn't make dreams.
Dreams make life.
I will dedicate my life to baseball."
Best way I can describe it. I mean, he's passionate about baseball.
He's always gonna be great at the game.
He's gonna do it for, what, maybe 10 more years, something like that.
But what happens after that?
When you lead a long life, you got to fill in the blanks, man.
[Joe] And you, you want to be a complete person.
That is interesting beyond just the game, I think.
[Matsui] Given Shohei's extraordinary achievements in baseball
and his relentless dedication to it even in his daily life,
I doubt there's anyone who can tell him what he should do.
Perhaps Joe Maddon?
[chuckles]
His thing is baseball.
This is his thing that that is fulfilling everybody else's life.
Right? Like, look, we're sitting here doing a whole documentary about him
and he's, you know, three or four years into his career.
I think whatever Shohei, you know, fills his life with,
whether it's baseball or things off the field,
I think he'll be fine.
And I mean, burning out after a Hall of Fame career,
you know what I mean, like, all right…
[laughs] …I'll take that any day.
[CC Sabathia laughs]
[Matsui] I think what awaits Shohei,
he will figure it out himself naturally.
If he's committing 100% to baseball now, that's his current priority.
Then someday,
he may look back at his path and recall these times of full dedication.
If he does, I believe it's a wonderful thing for him.
There are very few players who can do the same.
I understand managers have seen much more of life than we have.
I'm sure they've witnessed many players burn out along the way.
But Shohei has done something everyone thought was impossible.
[Darvish] Even if it's Joe Maddon's advice,
Shohei doesn't have to comply.
At this stage in his career, and if he wants to keep going,
I don't see any reason to change what he is doing.
[chuckles]
That's exactly right.
Hmm.
I do have a vision for my future, but nothing is set in stone.
[inhales sharply] Uh…
Sure, thinking about the future is important,
but it's a separate matter from what I should be doing at this moment.
For me, it's all about being all in on what feels right in my life right now.
[crowd cheering]
[♪ electronic music playing]
[crowd cheering]
Well, I think all of us that played this game
are extremely devoted to it,
and we understood, uh, and understand how difficult it was.
We lived baseball.
[inhales deeply] How old is he? 28?
Nah, he's okay. [chuckles]
Shohei keeps on doing the unexpected.
He's on a path no one's ever been on, and that's beyond our imagination.
I'm convinced that he's going to blow us away even more in the future.
Ever since I started playing,
I've just followed a series of steps.
Those little steps simply led to a much larger goal.
I still have goals and aspirations that I've yet to achieve.
That's what keeps me moving forward.
He needs to win the World Series.
I've always believed he could round out as a three-way player with defense.
I totally have faith in him for that.
Yes.
The only thing I can see from him is, "What's next?"
For the next generation of players.
Uh, is he gonna pass
all these things that he did to the next generation?
Because it's challenging to do what he's doing.
[♪ upbeat music playing]
[clunks]
[whooshes]
[clunks]
This is for Shohei, my buddy, with all the respect
and best wishes to you, Shohei.
[Shohei mutters]
[chuckles softly]
Thank you. There's a message too.
I'll put it up with Matsui-san's ball. [chuckles]
He's not just a top Japanese player, he's one of the greatest in the MLB.
He brings back the feeling I had as a child when I watched the top players.
At this point, I'm content with the decisions I made along the way.
[Shohei] I'm part of a great team,
working together with outstanding players every day.
But was it the absolute best decision?
Unless I could go back in time and try out the other options I had,
I'd never know for sure.
I often say this, but
all you can do is trust your past decisions were the best ones at the time.
That mindset allows me to truly enjoy the game.
I genuinely believe that.
When it comes to deciding what's the best,
all I know is that whatever I choose for myself is the right choice for me.
It'll be interesting what the future brings,
um, but right now,
we're just enjoying this ride, and so is he.
And, um, I'm excited about where he's at.
I think he's just scratching the surface.
I'm excited about his future and where it's going.
Um…
It's going to be a really fun ride.
And it has been so far.
What I would like Shohei to understand is the journey to a championship
sometimes gets rocky, and that's what I would tell him.
It's very rarely a clean slide up and you get your championship.
You have to be patient
and you have to understand that your time will come.
And that road to the top is, is not easy or else everybody would be up there.
Good luck the rest of the way.
Keep going and hopefully, we'll see you in Cooperstown here soon.
He's pursued his dreams this far…
but I wish to let him know that the future of baseball now rests on his shoulders.
[Kuriyama] I know he can take on that mantle.
World Champion
[♪ uplifting music playing]
[♪ upbeat music playing, Ghost Machines "Can't Get Enough"]
♪ All out revving up like a V 12 ♪
♪ Braveheart screaming bye I'm a raise hell ♪
♪ Circuitry in my veins got the Intel ♪
♪ No shoes rocking on my feet ♪
♪ All eyes magnetized coming down that street ♪
♪ Feels good, so good ♪
♪ So good to be me ♪
♪ I got what you want ♪
♪ I got it so good ♪
♪ I got what you want ♪
♪ And you just can't, you just can't get enough ♪
♪ No, you just can't get enough ♪
[crowd chanting, applauding]
[crowd chanting] MVP! MVP!
MVP! MVP! MVP!
[crowd chanting loudly] MVP! MVP! MVP!
MVP! MVP!
[chanting continues] MVP! MVP! MVP!
[chanting fades]
[♪ upbeat music playing, "Lost in Paradise"]
Translated by Eika