"I Have A Negative Impression" - Shohei Ohtani Goes Home, Immediately Criticizes The Angels To Japanese Media
TOKYO -- Japanese two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani arrived home Tuesday and was critical of his Los Angeles Angels team missing the Major League Baseball playoffs again.
In an interview at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, he said it was "a good season for me personally." Not so good for the Angels, though.
"I have to say that August and September in particular felt longer to me than last year," Ohtani said, speaking in Japanese. "We were not able to play as many good games as we would like -- including 14 consecutive losses. So I have a rather negative impression of this season."
It's about 12 hours nonstop from LAX to Tokyo. That's important to remember if we're doing interviews at the Haneda baggage claim. Two or more time zone changes and I need a personal day to reset mind/body/spirt. No way I'm gettin off that plane and talking to the media without immediately firing everyone my PR team.
Shohei's different. He throws 100 and hits bombs and is impervious to jet lag. He took the interview and this is what comes out of it.
"I have a rather negative impression of this season."
Great sound bite mostly because nobody sees it coming from this guy. He's always smiling. Always happy. Just got a $30M contract for next year. It's absolutely okay to admit this quote caught you off guard for no other reason than it came from Shohei.
Also worth pointing out this shouldn't even be a big story. Nothing he said is unfair, inaccurate or the like.
BUT he's also the most gifted player in the world that's toiled away on a historically underwhelming club.
Anything off the beaten path becomes a story.
NICE MAN ACCURATELY DESCRIBES REPEATED FAILURES
Of course he had a negative impression. He's the one dominating the league but averaging 90 losses a year. How else would you explain that feeling to your boys back home? If anything he should be celebrated for his reserve in front of the mic.
To be honest, our front office fuckin SUCKS
The reality is that any club with Shohei Ohtani should regularly compete for the playoffs and that's without mention of the centerfielder. It's a stain on anyone even tangentially related to Angels leadership that they can't figure this out. Any sentiment otherwise is complete and total bullshit.