"He is doing something truly remarkable. You could even say he is being underrated."
Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations for the LA Dodgers, said this of Shohei Ohtani, the "super star" showing outstanding talent on both offense and defense.
Ohtani, after joining the Dodgers this season, pitched and hit for the first time. He took the mound 14 times, going 1-1 with a 2.87 earned run average and 62 strikeouts, and as a hitter he hit .282 (611 at-bats, 172 hits) with 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, 146 runs and 20 stolen bases. He had the honor of being unanimously named the National League MVP.
On the 15th, according to Japanese sports outlet Nikkan Sports, Friedman appeared on the U.S. sports TV channel MLB Network and praised Ohtani to the point of running out of words.
Ron Darling, a former pitcher who works as a baseball commentator, referred to the scene in the National League Championship Series Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in which Ohtani both pitched and hit, recording three home runs and 10 strikeouts. "If I had done that, I wouldn't have been able to play for the next six weeks. I don't know how you can play baseball and keep going after a game like that," Darling said.
Friedman responded, "I feel the same way. He is doing something truly remarkable. You could even say he is being underrated."
He continued, "Considering everything — how devoted he is to training, how he overcomes fatigue — it's truly an extraordinary feat. It's simply amazing that he possesses this level of talent both as a pitcher and a hitter."
Friedman recalled Ohtani's final swing-and-miss strikeout against then-teammate Mike Trout of the U.S. team at the last World Baseball Classic, saying, "The final was really special. It was very impressive."
Meanwhile, according to Dodgers-focused outlet Dodgers Nation, Friedman said that with Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto indicating their intention to participate in the WBC, the team intends to fully cooperate with Samurai Japan.
Friedman said, "At the winter meetings I met with Samurai Japan officials and had conversations. We've continued to stay in contact. We will fully cooperate with Samurai Japan and the goals they pursue. They have also shown a willingness to fully cooperate with us."
He added, "It is important to maintain an environment in which we can communicate closely, share information, and, based on mutual respect, give and receive help as we move forward together."
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