When the American dream met Japanese Excellence in Shohei Ohtani

Japanese Baseball player- Shohei Ohtani realizes his American Dream.

Shohei Ohtani was born in Oshu, Iwate, Japan. He became a pro baseball player when he joined the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. The Nippon-Ham Fighters is a team which consists of professional baseball players in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league.

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Shohei Ohtani's journey: From Japanese baseball player to an MLB player in the U.S.A

Ohtani was born in the city of Oshu, located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. While he was growing up, everyone acknowledged that Ohtani was a prodigy, a young athlete whose talent was evident from an early age. 

Ohtani was an important member of the Hanamaki Higashi High School baseball team. His extraordinary abilities as both a pitcher and a hitter caught the attention of the scouts almost immediately. 

By the time Ohtani completed his graduation & passed out, he had established a reputation as an impactful, match winning baseball player & was already being compared to some of Japan’s greatest baseball players.

In the year 2013, Ohtani made headlines in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as he joined the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He made a profound impact with his ability to excel in his dual roles. His fastest ball, reached speeds of 100 mph, and his strength which imparted power to his bat as a hitter made him a sensation. 

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Though he was a huge success & an absolute baseball sensation in Japan, Ohtani had a larger dream: to compete in Major League Baseball, which is the zenith of this sport.

Babe Ruth & Shohei Ohtani.

Babe Ruth was a former, immensely popular, American baseball player who became a coach after retiring as a player. He was known for his dual role of being a pitcher as well as a hitter. He had a Major League Baseball career spanning 22 seasons from 1914 to 1935. He passed away on August 16 in 1948. 

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Shohei Ohtani, like Babe Ruth, was a 2 way player- a pitcher as well as a hitter. Many decades after the passing away of Babe Ruth had emerged a player who was a phenomenal pitcher as well as an immensely powerful hitter. Thus Ohtani's entry into the MLB was nothing short of historic. 

Ohtani's rookie season was a whirlwind of both- excitement as well as anticipation. And Ohtani did not disappoint anyone. Ohtani demonstrated his remarkable skills with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. His fastball clubbed with his devastating splitter left the batters swinging at thin air.  

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At the plate he had a dazzling 22 home runs. He had demonstrated immense power & acute precision which had set him apart from those competing along with him. 

Shohei Ohtani- the Japanese star realizes his American dream. 

The American baseball fans had flocked to the ground & they did it every single time when Ohtani took the field. They wanted to see & cheer for a Japanese player who could do everything be it pitching, hitting, home runs... Ohtani's ability to spectacularly pitch as well hit brought a new dimension to the game drawing comparisons to the baseball greats of the past.

Shohei Ohtani: a Global Inspiration.

Shohei Ohtani's Major League Baseball success, fame & baseball superstar status is not just because of his spectacular hitting & pitching talents but also because of his humility & the fact that he is absolutely grounded. 

He often gives credit of his success to his team-mates, coach & support staff  & the immense support he gets from the baseball fans which keeps egging him to give fantastic performances on the baseball field. Shohei Ohtani is an average baseball fan's delight! The fact that he is easily approachable has made him a favorite of baseball fans as well as media.

Shohei Ohtani is not just a baseball player. He is globally a symbol of hope, embodiment of determination, resilience & the belief that everything is possible with hard work and determination. With every swing of the bat & every strike out, Ohtani carries with him the hopes of many & the spirit of an American dream being realized.

Shohei Ohtani's journey from Japan to the MLB in the USA proves that the pursuit of greatness is independent of geographies, race, countries, ethnicities, languages & that the American dream is alive & can be realized if you have the courage to chase your dreams coupled with the power of perseverance.

Mamiko Tanaka: Shohei Ohtani's wife

Shohei Ohtani, though amongst the highest paid MLB players & a baseball superstar has always kept his personal life absolutely private & hidden. The Los Angels' dodger had confirmed that he got married in February 2024. 

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It took him another 2 weeks after that to reveal the name of his wife- Mamiko Tanaka.

Who is Mamiko Tanaka?

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Mamiko Tanaka who got married to Shohei Ohtani in february 2024 is a former Japanese basketball player. 

She was born in Japan on Dec. 11, 1996. She started her career playing for Waseeda University. Mamiko Tanaka became a full time professional basketball player in 2019 with the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Women's Japan Basketball League. 

Tanaka stands at 5-foot-11-inches. She had been a forward played for the team for four years and retired in 2023. In 2023- her last season, Tanaka had a shooting rate of 47.7% from the field and 69.9% from the free throw line across 28 games, according to ESPN.

During a press conference after marriage announcement, Ohtani called Tanaka a “normal Japanese woman.”