[Current & Culture] Otani's Ship Has Left the Solar System

Beyond 50 Home Runs and 50 Stolen Bases in Baseball History
Venturing Into Uncharted Territory Beyond the Limits of Baseball

Lee Jae-ik, SBS Radio PD and Novelist

There is a space probe named Voyager. Launched side by side in 1977, Voyager 1 and 2 hold several records. They are the farthest human-made objects from Earth, have succeeded in the longest-distance communication, and have taken pictures of Earth from the greatest distance. Voyager, boasting an incredible speed of over 15 km per second, crossed the solar system in 2018 and continues to venture into unknown territories.

There is a baseball player named Otani. Debuting in 2013, he holds multiple records. Performing both as a pitcher and a batter simultaneously, he led his team to victory in the Japanese league and even won the MVP award. After moving to Major League Baseball, he became the only player to achieve 10 wins as a starting pitcher and over 40 home runs as a batter in the same season, securing the highest contract value across all sports. He is also the only major leaguer to have won two MVP awards unanimously, and like Voyager, he continues to push beyond the limits of baseball into uncharted territory.

Even in this season, when he is playing only as a batter due to an elbow injury, Otani added new records. On August 31, our time, he became the first player in baseball history to achieve 43 home runs and stolen bases in a single season. The 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases record in one season is notoriously difficult. In Korean professional baseball, only the foreign player Eric Thames has achieved it once, and no domestic player has done so yet. There is no one in Japan either. In Major League Baseball, excluding those who used banned substances, only three players have succeeded, but Otani set the record in the fewest games and continued to hit home runs and steal bases, eventually achieving the unprecedented 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases record in baseball history.

What makes Otani’s record even more meaningful is that it contributes to team victories rather than just personal achievements. Stolen bases carry the risk of breaking the momentum of an attack if failed. Unlike previous record holders who attempted steals despite lower success rates, Otani boasts a success rate well over 90%. It goes without saying how much home runs contribute to team victories.

Whenever someone performs unprecedented feats in any field, a cultural phenomenon arises. In Los Angeles, USA, Otani Day has been designated, and on days when Otani souvenirs are given away, tens of thousands of spectators line up on the streets hours before the game starts. The Dodgers games have been developed into tourist attractions. This cultural phenomenon is called the Otani Syndrome. It is the same in Korea. Otani frequently appears on TV news, and advertisements featuring him as a model are easily seen. No Japanese person has gained as much favor in Korea since liberation. Most Japanese people famous in Korea have been targets of criticism or competition. Could this also be the first record created by Otani?

Although not quite at the level of a cultural phenomenon like Otani, an enormous star has emerged in Korean professional baseball as well. After Lee Jung-hoo, the top star until last year, left for Major League Baseball, Kim Do-young quickly filled that spot. He is almost certain to win the MVP, having already achieved 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases, with the 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases record within reach. If successful, he will be the first Korean player to do so.

As I write this, Otani has achieved 51 home runs and 51 stolen bases, and Kim Do-young has 37 home runs and 39 stolen bases. Just as Otani pioneered unknown territory, can Kim Do-young also succeed in this great challenge? Where will Voyager be after the season ends? This is not an everyday spectacle. The countdown of the century has begun.

Jae-ik Lee, SBS Radio PD and Novelist