✹The PERENNIAL Shohei Ohtani Thread✹

[SaveMeTheGum]

Originally Posted by Twalk1975

Is it just my imagination, or was it not a large part of the narrative around the last two NL MVPs?

The 50/50 chase was more to separate him from others in an all-time great sense. The mvp would have probably been in the bag regardless. Baseball is just too easy for this guy.

[boxbuster7]

Originally Posted by atk825

It’s an Apple broadcast and she’s wearing Apple headphones. Reporters typically have ear pieces that are less visible. But Apple may as well sell headphones while broadcasting.

Part of me thinks the apple broadcasts are cool with all the drone footage and but honestly they kinda suck with all the unnecessary stats and fluff

[Twalk1975]

Originally Posted by SaveMeTheGum

The 50/50 chase was more to separate him from others in an all-time great sense. The mvp would have probably been in the bag regardless. Baseball is just too easy for this guy.

Quite likely, but it helps counter the argument that he is a bat only DH. When September rolls around, we'll be hearing the same thing this year in favor of PCA or someone else.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by Twalk1975

Quite likely, but it helps counter the argument that he is a bat only DH. When September rolls around, we'll be hearing the same thing this year in favor of PCA or someone else.

Who talks about Ohtani only being a DH?

[hammertime]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Who talks about Ohtani only being a DH?

Casuals...and Yankee fans.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by hammertime

Casuals...and Yankee fans.

I imagine people past the age of 75 as well.

I have to check myself sometimes to make sure I’m not living in my own bubble.

[Twalk1975]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Who talks about Ohtani only being a DH?

Did you miss that part last year?

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by Twalk1975

Did you miss that part last year?

The morons on the fringe don’t matter.

[dashcol]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Who talks about Ohtani only being a DH?

A lot of “baseball fans” I work with talk about him not being as good because he is only a DH. I try to explain to them about what he is doing and what he has done. He is more than just a generational player, he is a once in history player.

I remember when people would talk about Verlander and his bat because he hit homeruns. Could he have done what Ohtani is doing, no way.

Could he have had even a single season of pitching and hitting like Ohtani, no way. Maybe a few games, but then he would stop. I think Skenes would have had potential to do it, he was a batter first, pitcher second.

So many casual fans do not realize what they are witnessing. They always point to his pitching being slightly above average. They don’t look at a 50/50 season FROM A PITCHER. Or the fact that he puts up 30 HRs when pitching above average. When was the last time this happened? 1920? The game was also so different then.

I love the casual fan for keeping the game alive, but they really don’t understand what they are watching. Like Ohtani being on pace for more HRs than last year, and we should see him on the mound soon too. No player has ever pitched multiple games and hitting 50+ HRs.

I don’t have much in way of Ohtani cards, just some base RCs, I just like being able to say I saw it happen.

[Trueblue]

An ERA+ of 141, 172, 142 over last three seasons pitched is just "slightly above average?" Let's just read the stat for what it is and say +41% to +72% "above average."

People will find any excuse to diminish the achievements of someone that's not their guy.

[dodgerfanjohn]

I wonder if anyone else knows people in the Japanese community in LA. My friend I grew up with…we became friends at age 12 and are both turning 53 this year. I was at his house a lot in my high school years. I still see him and his family regularly and his mom and dad 3-4 times a year.

His mom immigrated to the US from Japan in the 1960’s when she was in her very early 20’s. She is very involved in Japanese community groups and social clubs and speaks fluent Japanese and English. Her and her friends are over the moon with Ohtani. Like they absolutely cannot stop talking about him. A total obsession. It was intense back when Hideo Nomo broke with the Dodgers, but not nearly what it is with Ohtani.

I work a block from Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles. Ohtani and Yamamoto and Dodgers stuff being worn every day even on non game days. On game days it’s even more so. Honestly cannot remember anything like this except when Fernando Valenzuela set the world on fire in 1981. There was a Japanese video store down the street that converted almost entirely to selling Dodgers gear. Everything with the cherry blossoms on it. When Ohtani is introduced and comes up to bat (and to a lesser extent Freeman) it’s like the pop at a WWE arena when Cult of Personality starts playing or you hear the glass shatter. Dodger stadium has always been crazy but for Ohtani it’s jacked up another level.

The dudes amazing. Nothing short of it. Wait until he pitches this year. The heat gets turned up that much more.

As much as I like collecting sports cards, the most I’ve ever spent for a single card was $225 for a 1960 Topps Mantle graded KSA 5(came back PSA 4), $125 for a raw 1960 Yaz(came back PSA 4), and $72 for a 1956 PSA 3 Jackie Robinson. Point being I’m a little bit of a cheapo. So spending $100+ on Dodger tickets normally doesn’t happen and that limits games I can go to now. Last year I took off work early to go to a 1pm game. I waited until about to walk in to snag a $95 field level ticket between the visitor dugout and home plate. Because I wanted to see Ohtani up close. I was not disappointed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jdandns]

Originally Posted by GabrielCards

The RBIs are down but he is on pace to set the modern record for runs scored. Gotta love that.

All-time runs scored single season leaders:

Billy Hamilton 198 (1894)
Babe Ruth 177 (1921)
Lou Gehrig 167 (1936)
Billy Hamilton 166 (1895)

Shohei's at 61 (in 55 games played) and the Dodgers have 105 left.
He could definitely hit that upper echelon.

[al3xmac10]

Originally Posted by dodgerfanjohn

I wonder if anyone else knows people in the Japanese community in LA. My friend I grew up with…we became friends at age 12 and are both turning 53 this year. I was at his house a lot in my high school years. I still see him and his family regularly and his mom and dad 3-4 times a year.

His mom immigrated to the US from Japan in the 1960’s when she was in her very early 20’s. She is very involved in Japanese community groups and social clubs and speaks fluent Japanese and English. Her and her friends are over the moon with Ohtani. Like they absolutely cannot stop talking about him. A total obsession. It was intense back when Hideo Nomo broke with the Dodgers, but not nearly what it is with Ohtani.

I work a block from Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles. Ohtani and Yamamoto and Dodgers stuff being worn every day even on non game days. On game days it’s even more so. Honestly cannot remember anything like this except when Fernando Valenzuela set the world on fire in 1981. There was a Japanese video store down the street that converted almost entirely to selling Dodgers gear. Everything with the cherry blossoms on it. When Ohtani is introduced and comes up to bat (and to a lesser extent Freeman) it’s like the pop at a WWE arena when Cult of Personality starts playing or you hear the glass shatter. Dodger stadium has always been crazy but for Ohtani it’s jacked up another level.

The dudes amazing. Nothing short of it. Wait until he pitches this year. The heat gets turned up that much more.

As much as I like collecting sports cards, the most I’ve ever spent for a single card was $225 for a 1960 Topps Mantle graded KSA 5(came back PSA 4), $125 for a raw 1960 Yaz(came back PSA 4), and $72 for a 1956 PSA 3 Jackie Robinson. Point being I’m a little bit of a cheapo. So spending $100+ on Dodger tickets normally doesn’t happen and that limits games I can go to now. Last year I took off work early to go to a 1pm game. I waited until about to walk in to snag a $95 field level ticket between the visitor dugout and home plate. Because I wanted to see Ohtani up close. I was not disappointed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for sharing this.
I was imagining it while reading, thank you.

[TGCollector]

Alright, come clean. Who just won the kaboom for $6,200?

[Trueblue]

Pedestrian two hit, two run day.

People pay real money for pajama cards without ink? Dang.

Great numbers against yarbrough's off speed stuff tomorrow.

[Seitas]

Originally Posted by dashcol

A lot of “baseball fans” I work with talk about him not being as good because he is only a DH. I try to explain to them about what he is doing and what he has done. He is more than just a generational player, he is a once in history player.

I remember when people would talk about Verlander and his bat because he hit homeruns. Could he have done what Ohtani is doing, no way.

Could he have had even a single season of pitching and hitting like Ohtani, no way. Maybe a few games, but then he would stop. I think Skenes would have had potential to do it, he was a batter first, pitcher second.

So many casual fans do not realize what they are witnessing. They always point to his pitching being slightly above average. They don’t look at a 50/50 season FROM A PITCHER. Or the fact that he puts up 30 HRs when pitching above average. When was the last time this happened? 1920? The game was also so different then.

I love the casual fan for keeping the game alive, but they really don’t understand what they are watching. Like Ohtani being on pace for more HRs than last year, and we should see him on the mound soon too. No player has ever pitched multiple games and hitting 50+ HRs.

I don’t have much in way of Ohtani cards, just some base RCs, I just like being able to say I saw it happen.

I think you’re thinking about bumgarner. Verlander can’t hit.

[ThoseBackPages]

you love to see it!

[atk825]

Originally Posted by Twalk1975

Did you miss that part last year?

Perhaps the greatest season for anyone ever rehabbing from an injury. Pretty amazing if you think about it.

[GabrielCards]

Time for an end of May analyses....

[GabrielCards]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

It’s no different than any individual stock. Investors price in future earnings expectations. Ohtani buyers are pricing in future accolade expectations.

Hey buddy. Do you still wanna tell me what accomplishments are already "baked in" to Ohtani prices even though he will not likely hit 70 HRs or steal 50 bases again and yet....his prices just keep on going up? At the start of the year our card to use as a barometer was the Bowman Chrome Refractor PSA 10 which at that time was at 6K to 6.3K. What's that card going for now? The last PSA 10 just sold for?
$9,500!!

[atk825]

Originally Posted by GabrielCards

Hey buddy. Do you still wanna tell me what accomplishments are already "baked in" to Ohtani prices even though he will not likely hit 70 HRs or steal 50 bases again and yet....his prices just keep on going up? At the start of the year our card to use as a barometer was the Bowman Chrome Refractor PSA 10 which at that time was at 6K to 6.3K. What's that card going for now? The last PSA 10 just sold for?
$9,500!!

Well. He’s on pace to be the first person with 150 runs in a season since the 1930s.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by GabrielCards

Hey buddy. Do you still wanna tell me what accomplishments are already "baked in" to Ohtani prices even though he will not likely hit 70 HRs or steal 50 bases again and yet....his prices just keep on going up? At the start of the year our card to use as a barometer was the Bowman Chrome Refractor PSA 10 which at that time was at 6K to 6.3K. What's that card going for now? The last PSA 10 just sold for?
$9,500!!

Aside from him being on a historic HR pace and about to return to pitching, are you completely oblivious to what is going on right now in trading cards?

[GabrielCards]

Agreed - even 170! But I think runs are kind of seen as less important than other statistics. I hope he breaks the modern record for runs scored.

[GabrielCards]

Haha love the snottiness. Your original point was that: Ohtani's prices have future accomplishments "baked into them" - meaning that before the season started his future milestones that you just mentoned (HRs -- pitching -- runs etc) are causing his card values BEFORE the season statred....or can we say he if did not make those achvements his prices would drop. But prices just keep going up and he has not yet reached any new milestones. So my point is perhaps market value is more based on CURRENT perormance rather than the future.

[GabrielCards]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Aside from him being on a historic HR pace and about to return to pitching, are you completely oblivious to what is going on right now in trading cards?

Oblivious? Well actually when we had this discussoin back in March I said that his cards were then a great buy because prices will just keep going up in the near future (rather than Ohtani having to "beat expectations" first with 70 HRS or whatever) but you disagreed explaining that "great things" were already priced in...and....I was correct.