Ohtani in 'richness' and"fun" Home runs and stolen bases are just means to win'
Aug 07, 2024
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If this is enough, fall baseball is over again this year. Sure enough. As of the 6th (Korea time), he is in fourth place in the American League (AL) West with 49 wins and 62 losses, so he gave up the postseason early. Late last month, he handed over setup man Luis Garcia to the Boston Red Sox for four prospects.
At this level, it is quickly determined which team it is. The Los Angeles Angels have a more broken team this year. The number of spectators has also decreased significantly. The average attendance of home games, which was 33,668 per game last year, decreased 9.8% to 33,363 this year. The box office, which had been on the rise for two consecutive years since the COVID-19 pandemic, has turned downward.
Injuries groaning signs are Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. Trout underwent surgery for a left knee meniscus injury early in the season and played in a triple-A rehabilitation game on July 24, but the pain recurred and suspended all rehabilitation programs. New damage to the meniscus of the left knee was reported. General manager Perry Minasian officially declared Trout's season out.
Rendon will return in time for the New York Yankees on the 7th after recovering from a back injury, but it is unknown how long he will last and be on the injured list (IL) again this time. Rendon was out with a left hamstring injury in April and returned in early July, but was on the IL for the second time this year on the 31st of last month due to back pain.
Trout is in the sixth season of a 12-year, $426.5 million contract, and Rendon is in the fifth season of a 7-year, $245 million contract. In other words, the Angels have two of the largest in history.
The last time the Angels played the postseason was in 2014. He reached the postseason as the No. 1 player in the district with 98 wins and 64 losses that year, but fell to his knees with three losses to the Kansas City Royals in the division series and was eliminated early. The Angels, who won their first World Series championship under coach Mike Scioscia in 2002 and were invited to play five more fall baseball games until 2009, have played only once since 2010 and in 2014.
The only postseason failures for 10 consecutive years so far this year are the Angels and Detroit Tigers. Detroit was also in fourth place in the AL Central with 53 wins and 60 losses, so it gave up baseball in October. Detroit has 9.5 games and the Angels has 13 games against Kansas City, which is ranked third in the AL wild card.
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The Dodgers lead the NL West with 66 wins and 47 losses. It is five games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, who are tied for second in the district. The FanGraphs suggest 80% and 99% of the Dodgers' chances of winning the district and advancing to the postseason, respectively. It means that they will play an unexpected fall baseball, and chances are very high that they will go straight to the Division Series.
Now Ohtani is enjoying the abundance that he could never feel during his time with the Angels. After entering the Major League in 2018, the season began every year with postseason aspirations, but the same situation was repeated two to three months later.
However, the Dodgers are different from the Angels in terms of history, tradition, market, financial ability, and enthusiasm of fans. He had elbow surgery with the Angels last fall, and although he won't be on the mound this year, he's been into the fun of baseball, enjoying his best season as a batter.
Ohtani longed for victory in the Angels. It's annoying to be reluctant to expose yourself to the media, but lose " whenever you get an interview. I want to win" was a foul-mouthed phrase.
Ohtani, who recently achieved 30 home runs and 30 steals, is expected to easily break through 40 home runs and 40 steals for the sixth time in history. He led the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-3 victory at Dodger Stadium, marking his 34th home run and 32nd stolen base of the season.
When asked about 40 home runs and 40 steals after the game, he said "Of course, if the team needs it, I want to hit a home run. The same goes for stolen bases. If you steal bases with a high success rate, I think you can contribute more to the team winning. The team wins, which is why I'm focused.
jhno@sportschosun.com
