The excitement over Shohei Ohtani becoming a Dodger had at least one commentator falling for hype over history
The signing of Shohei Ohtani by the Los Angeles Dodgers has had baseball buzzing and the sports world stunned, considering the massive size and scope of it all. The largest contract in American major sports at $700 million total, the Japanese sensation’s status has reached legendary levels already – even though he still hasn’t officially played a game in Dodger Blue yet.
Ohtani’s Arrival Sparks Excitement
No doubt that Ohtani will become an even bigger star with the Dodgers than he did nearby with the Angles. With all due respect to the ‘other guys’ in Orange County, Hollywood belongs to the Dodgers.
And now, they have a uniquely talented star with a very diverse fan base. Ohtani not only draws Asian fans in the same way Ichiro once did, he’s also a crossover hero to fans of many different ethnicities. And again… much like Suzuki? He has a likability factor that crosses continents and is never lost in translation.
Perhaps that’s why MLB analyst Ben Verlander got so caught up in the pomp and pageantry of it all. When the Dodgers introduced their free agent coup, the Flippin’ Bats commentator christened Ohtani as “the most important signing in Dodgers history”.
Hype Over History?
Perhaps Ben Verlander may have just gotten a little too excited about Ohtani. As a recent article by writer Garrett Carr pointed out, the analyst forgot about maybe the most important and influential Dodger ever: Jackie Robinson.
Signed out of the Negro Leagues by legendary baseball executive Branch Rickey, Robinson famously broke the MLB color barrier in 1947. During his Hall of Fame career, he opened the door for not only other black players but athletes of all ethnicities – like Shohei Ohtani, for example.
While Ohtani will likely have a lot of great moments and probably win a couple of World Series rings during his time in Tinsel Town, he won’t have the same kind of impact. His number won’t be retired game-wide, and there won’t be one day named specifically for him. That’s a part of history that hype just can’t overshadow. Not even with 700 billion dollars.
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