Ohtani’s Journey: From Humility to Hero. Wow.

Did you watch baseball’s World Series first game?

If not, here’s your summary: The Los Angeles Dodgers crushed the New York Yankees 6–3.

It ended with a bang as Freddie Freeman hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history in the 10th inning.

What a drama-filled and thrilling opener it was.

Shohei Ohtani and $700 Million Contract

And the biggest star in the World Series? Japanese slugger Shohei Ohtani.

His on-field exploits were extraordinary, including hitting gargantuan home runs, pitching over 100 miles per hour, and easily stealing bases.

Being the greatest player in the sport’s history, Ohtani made history with a record-breaking $700 million contract from the Dodgers this past off-season.

But I am not here to talk about the sports greatness of this extraordinary athlete.

I want to talk about how he is one of the most humble players in the league.

Ohtani’s Journey: From Humility to Hero

Let’s look at some possible origins of Ohtani’s humility.

According to Jeff Fletcher’s 2022 book “Sho-Time,” coach Hiroshi Sasaki shaped his players as people and athletes at Hanamaki Higashi High School in Japan.

The players who resided in a school dorm had chores during the baseball season.

The pitchers always cleaned the bathroom, as they received the lion’s share of attention from the public.

The pitcher devised the bathroom cleaning task to keep the pitchers humble.

Here’s coach Sasaki:

“The toilet is the most important place in an establishment, just like the mound is the most important place on the field.”

The target players included Ohtani, who, as a teen, pitched up to 99 miles per hour.

The humble job helped teach the players to have pride in their work, regardless of their role.

Have you been to Japan and noticed how everyone takes pride in their job?

Spotless public toilets? No tipping, but impeccable service?

Thank you for reading “Ohtani’s Journey: From Humility to Hero.”