[Joseonggwan's Global Humanities Journey] Shohei Otani and the Samurai Spirit

The 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) season in the United States will be remembered in history for two stories: the Texas Rangers winning the World Series for the first time in 62 years, and Shohei Ohtani being unanimously selected as the MVP.

On August 16, the LA Angels played an away game against the Texas Rangers. On that day, Rangers fans held a special sign cheer at Globe Life Field that read, “OHTANI COME TO TEXAS.”

It meant “Ohtani, come to Texas.”

[Joseonggwan's Global Humanities Journey] Shohei Otani and the Samurai Spirit

Texas fans are cheering for Ohtani with letter boards at the Texas Rangers' home stadium.
Photo by AP Yonhap News

Ohtani became a free agent (FA) after the 2023 season, free to sign with any team. Whenever Ohtani appeared in away games for the LA Angels this season, opposing fans unfailingly held up signs asking him to join their teams.

In over 130 years of MLB history, baseball fans have never before courted a specific player to come to their region regardless of location. Before the Texas victory, the 2023 MLB season was marked by the “Ohtani phenomenon.”

Ohtani succeeded as a two-way player in Japan before entering MLB in 2018. So, the 2023 season was his sixth year in MLB. When Ohtani was in trouble pitching, the pitching coach would come to the mound with a Japanese interpreter. Seeing this, some might say, “He’s lived in the U.S. for six years but still can’t communicate in English.” However, Ohtani does not spend special time or effort learning English.

This scene recalls Ichiro Suzuki, who left an unprecedented legacy in MLB. Ichiro entered MLB in 2001 after playing in Japanese professional baseball and played 18 seasons, including with the Seattle Mariners (twice), New York Yankees, and Miami Marlins.

Thanks to Ichiro’s powerful hitting, the American prejudice that “there are no Asian hitters worthy of starting in MLB” was broken. Ichiro hit over .300 for ten consecutive years from his rookie season. He won the American League Gold Glove Award as an outfielder in 2010. In 2004, he recorded a .372 batting average with 262 hits, earning the batting title and most hits award. Naturally, he was nicknamed the “hit machine.”

He had a special habit when stepping up to the plate. After swinging the bat, he would raise it with his right hand and point it toward the pitcher, then slightly tug at his uniform’s shoulder. He would glare fiercely at the pitcher. Baseball fans naturally associated this image with a samurai.

Shohei Ohtani, the "two-way" player, installed on the hallway wall of the LA Angels' home stadium.
Photo by Euncheol Jo

The “People’s Honor Award” (Kokumin Eiyo-sho) is the most prestigious award for Japanese people. Established in 1977, it is given to those who have “earned widespread respect from the public and have made remarkable achievements that bring bright hope to society.” To date, 27 people have received this award.

Ohtani was recommended for the People’s Honor Award at the end of 2022 but declined it. When refusing the award, he said,

“I hope to receive it when the curtain falls on my life.”

Ichiro Suzuki was recommended for the People’s Honor Award three times (2001, 2004, 2019) but declined each time.

Ohtani’s first year in MLB, 2018, was underwhelming. The 2019?2020 seasons were similar. He attracted attention but did not produce noteworthy results. Many thought the two-way style (pitching and hitting) only worked in Japan.

The “Ohtani phenomenon” began on April 5, 2021. For the first time since entering MLB, Ohtani started a game both as a starting pitcher and as a batter. It was a home game against the Chicago White Sox. Ohtani struck out batters with a 161 km/h fastball and kept the first inning scoreless. Then, batting second in the bottom of the first inning, Angels fans were tense, wondering, “How will batter Ohtani perform?”

He swung through the wind and hit a 1-run home run with a ball speed of 185 km/h, a line drive like a clothesline. It was a story that seemed to come straight out of a baseball manga, unfolding right before their eyes. MLB reporters were stunned. Two-way play was possible! The Angels won 7?4. The “Ohtani phenomenon” began in LA. In the 2021 All-Star Game, he was selected as an All-Star both as a pitcher and a batter.

The peak of the “Ohtani phenomenon” was, as everyone knows, the 2023 season. Even newspapers that rarely feature MLB news on their sports pages frequently put major league news on the front page. All were articles related to Ohtani. The climax was in July and August. On July 28, in an away doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers, Ohtani started the first game and pitched a complete game shutout. Baseball fans know how difficult a complete game shutout is. In the second game of the doubleheader, he appeared as the designated hitter and hit two home runs, leading the team to victory.

A photo of Ohtani decorated on a pillar in the hallway of the LA Angels' home stadium. Next to it, baseball fans wearing number 17 jerseys are passing by.
Photo by Euncheol Jo

Around this time, Korean, American, and Japanese media flooded with articles analyzing the “Ohtani phenomenon.” Among them, Ohtani’s Mandalart plan drew particular attention. In his first year of high school, at the suggestion of coach Hiroshi Sasaki, Ohtani created a Mandalart plan.

High school player Ohtani’s dream was to be the first overall draft pick of all eight teams. To achieve this goal, he first set eight practical tasks. The eight goals were control, pitching quality, 160 km/h speed, breaking balls, luck, humanity, mental strength, and physical conditioning.

Then, for each of these eight practical tasks, he listed eight specific ways to accomplish them. What surprised baseball fans worldwide about Ohtani’s Mandalart plan was that he set “luck” and “humanity” as goals. It was unheard of to hear that one works hard to develop “luck” and “humanity.” It was astonishing that Ohtani believed luck comes to those who work hard. Examples include picking up trash, cleaning the clubroom, attitude toward umpires, reading books, being someone who receives cheers, positive thinking, using things carefully, and greeting others.

Breaking down “humanity” further: being loved, planning, gratitude, perseverance, being trusted, manners, consideration, and sensitivity.

Mandarat plan created by Ohtani during his high school baseball player days (original on the left, translated version on the right)

There are many anecdotes that reveal Ohtani’s character. From cleaning the baseball team dormitory bathroom for three years in high school without a single complaint to countless acts of kindness after entering MLB. This suggests that the Mandalart plan has been internalized by Ohtani.

One common trait among people born with exceptional talent in any field is laziness. They always produce better results than others without special effort. This works up to a certain point. We often see baseball players who debut as star players but disappear within a few years. Talent without effort may shine briefly but cannot last. How many MLB star players have fallen due to drugs, violence, or personal issues?

Recently, veteran MLB reporter Jeff Fletcher’s book, “Shohei Ohtani’s Great Season,” was translated and published. The book is based on interviews with Ohtani, his teammates, and people around him. Fletcher says in the book that MLB history is being rewritten since Ohtani’s arrival. Ohtani has already far surpassed the level of a star player.

On days when Ohtani starts as a pitcher, the Angels’ home stadium attendance increases by an average of 5,000 to 6,000. Since the “Ohtani phenomenon,” the number of Asian baseball fans visiting Los Angeles has surged. They almost unanimously buy jerseys with the number 17 at the Angels’ souvenir shops.

Shohei Ohtani wearing a shogun helmet and performing a home run celebration in the dugout.
Photo by AP Yonhap News

Whenever Ohtani hits a home run and returns to the dugout, he performs a special ceremony. Wearing a samurai-era shogun helmet, he is welcomed by his teammates. Despite his outstanding talent, Ohtani is humble and works fiercely hard. He believes luck follows those who work hard. He excludes anything that hinders achieving his goals and focuses solely on baseball.

This aligns with the core of the samurai spirit, the Isshokenmei (一所懸命) spirit, which means dedicating oneself wholeheartedly as if life depended on it.