Participant turns into first in MLB to file 50 house runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani has made Main League Baseball (MLB) historical past by turning into the primary participant within the league’s historical past to file 50 house runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
Ohtani made three house runs and lifted his tally of steals to 51 within the Dodgers’ 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
The win despatched the Dodgers into the playoffs, a primary for Ohtani.
“To be sincere, I’m the one most likely most shocked,” the Japanese participant mentioned by means of a translator of his spectacular efficiency. “I do not know the place this got here from, however I’m glad I carried out properly immediately.”
It has been an eventful yr for Ohtani who joined the Dodgers in December on a 10-year, $700m contract after spending six seasons with the crosstown rival Angels.
He isn’t pitching this season as he recovers from reconstructive surgical procedure on his throwing elbow and has additionally endured a scandal through which his former good friend and interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, stole tens of millions of {dollars} from him to repay sports activities playing money owed.
Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts, addressing his gamers within the clubhouse as they celebrated the victory, famous the achievement.
“This can be a sport that has been performed for over 200 years,” Roberts mentioned. “And that is one thing that has by no means been completed.”
Ohtani, 30, tried to maintain the concentrate on the staff.
“I’m glad that the staff gained,” he mentioned, admitting that with a lot consideration targeted on his 50-50 pursuit, it “was one thing I wished to recover from as rapidly as potential.
“It’s one thing that I’m going to cherish for a really very long time.”
Earlier this season, Ohtani grew to become the MLB’s all-time chief in house runs amongst Japanese-born gamers when he surpassed the 175 of Hideki Matsui with 222 house runs over the course of his profession.
