How Shohei Ohtani drove himself to become a World Series champion

Columnist

Oct. 31, 2024 3 AM PT

NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani was hitting with one arm.

Limited by the left shoulder he partially dislocated just four days earlier, Ohtani was at this point more or less a decoy, which, coincidentally or not, is the name of his world-famous dog.

Didn’t matter.

He wanted to hit. So when Tommy Edman drew a walk in what turned out to be a decisive eighth inning in Game 5 of the World Series, Ohtani entered the on-deck circle.

One problem: He’d skipped ahead in line.

Recognizing his mistake when Gavin Lux climbed up the dugout steps, Ohtani temporarily retreated to the bench.

Chuckling, Lux recalled telling Ohtani, “Relax, man, it’s my turn first.”

Lux tied the score with a sacrifice fly and Mookie Betts won it with another while Ohtani settled for reaching base on a catcher’s interference call, but the sequence in the on-deck circle was nonetheless revealing.

Ohtani wanted to be in the batter’s box with the game on the line. Even in a compromised state, he wasn’t afraid of the moment.

The best player in baseball for the last four years, Ohtani became a World Series champion on Wednesday night. His coronation was staged at Yankee Stadium, where the Dodgers claimed a 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees to win the best-of-seven series, four games to one.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani gestures in the dugout before Game 5 of the World Series against the New York Yankees.

As his teammates showered him with beer and sparkling wine in the middle of the visiting clubhouse, Ohtani raised the commissioner’s trophy.

“Really, I’m just happy,” Ohtani said in Japanese.

The championship marked an appropriate end for the greatest individual season in Dodgers history, one in which Ohtani became the first player in history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in the same season. Ohtani, who signed a 10-year, $700-million contract with the Dodgers after playing six seasons for the Angels, is expected to win his third MVP award in four years.

“I think there’s a legitimate argument that he’s the greatest player to ever play the game,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.

Ohtani is more focused than any other player. He is more gifted than any other player. He could be braver than any other player.

Courage is required to be as brazenly ambitious as Ohtani, who said his intention was to become the No. 1 player in the world when he departed Japan for the major league seven years ago.

“He wants to be the most amazing baseball player in the history of the world,” Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly said.

To dream as Ohtani does is to be condemned to failure. Only one player can be the best. Not every player has the resolve to take on such odds, not even the most talented of players. Especially the most talented of players, who have the most fragile of egos.

As much success as he’s enjoyed over the last four years, Ohtani has endured his share of failure as well.

In his first three seasons with the Angels, he wasn’t close to being the player he wanted to be. He underwent two Tommy John surgeries. He ended up leaving the Angels without appearing in a playoff game for them.

That didn’t stop him from dreaming of more.

The scale of his ambition was most evident in a goal chart he created as a senior at Hanamaki Higashi High.

He planned on throwing a pitch 175 kilometers per hour, or about 109 mph. He wanted to throw multiple no-hitters. By this stage of his career, he dreamed of winning multiple World Baseball Classic titles and multiple Cy Young Awards.

The only one of those items he’s checked off is the WBC title, which he’s won once. But that’s not the point. The point was that he wasn’t afraid to set and pursue outrageous targets.

Dodgers president Stan Kasten, right, celebrates with Shohei Ohtani after the team's World Series win over the Yankees.

Considering that background, it was entirely expected that he would try to play with a partially dislocated shoulder if he could.

“Even after I got hurt, I wanted to prepare to play,” Ohtani said. “More than anything, I was honored to be told that I was needed. I’m grateful they told me that.”

Over the final three games of the World Series, Ohtani was just one for 11. He finished the postseason batting .230 with three homers, 13 runs batted in and 14 runs scored in 16 games. He also struck out 22 times.

“He was playing with one arm in the postseason,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Most guys would probably tap out, but he was going to not be denied at playing and posting and being in the lineup.”

His reward was another booze-fueled locker room celebration in which he emptied beers on his teammates and momentarily set aside the burden of genius he carries with him almost every day. At one point, Ohtani mischievously sneaked up on Friedman as he was encircled by reporters and sprayed champagne in his face.

“Nine more, nine more!” Ohtani shouted at Friedman.

He probably wasn’t kidding.