Ruth v Ohtani: The Beginning
Thomas Holmes, MS
Baseball Writer | Baseball Historian | Sports Management Expert |Veteran
???????????????On December 8, 2017, the Los Angeles Angels signed Shohei Ohtani to a major league contract. This international signing brought more attention than the normal player acquisition. While playing in Japan, Ohtani was known to pitch and play the field. Ohtani brought a unique ability to American baseball. The last two-way player was a man known as Geroge Herman “Babe” Ruth. Many know his name as premier home run hitter of the 1920s. Since Ohtani’s time began in the MLB a comparison to Ruth has consistently been made. Commentators on TV cherry-pick stats and beat writers highlight only their points of view. Yes, there are similarities within these players but there are just as many differences. Each player had factors and obstacles to overcome during their playing years.
???????????????It is unfair to compare Ruth’s and Ohtani’s careers. Ruth’s career has been over for decades, and Ohtani is in his fifth year. However, comparing each player’s first five seasons will provide a clear and concise assessment of each player. Both players pitched and both players played the outfield. I have a series of factors to use to compare these players to. My objective is to be fair and impartial to allow each reader to choose which player is better in their first five seasons. Maybe now we can finally conclude this endless and boundless argument of who is better. Or will this just add fuel to the fire and create an enormous blazing inferno that will never be put out?
Ruth’s childhood story has been told. He was born poor in Baltimore in 1895. His home was small, and it sat in an industrial area. It had four fireplaces but no running water or indoor plumbing, no gas or electricity. George senior owned a bar and was fined regularly for allowing minors to enter. George junior was no stranger to the saloon. He was unruly from the start. Even at this young age, Ruth had run-ins with the law. Something his parents could not control. At the age of seven, Ruth was sent to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Orphans, Delinquents, Incorrigible, and Wayward Boys. Ruth was not an orphan, but his parents made him feel so.
Brother Matthias arrived at St. Mary’s in 1909 and introduced baseball to all the boys including Ruth. It was used to entertain and occupy the boys. A four-team league was quickly formed. Ruth took to it easily. During one game, Ruth was playing catcher with a right-handed mitt. After each pitch, he would drop the glove and throw the ball with his left hand back to the pitcher. After the boys made fun of Ruth for his play as catcher, he was placed on the mound. He threw fastballs past the other boys that were no longer laughing. From then on, Ruth was a pitcher.
Shohei Ohtani’s beginnings are humble. He was born on July 5, 1994, in Oshu, Japan. Oshu can be found along the Kitakam River in the northeastern part of mainland Japan. The mountainous area is known to produce agricultural goods such as rice, apples, and dairy goods. City life is not completely out of reach. A ride on one of Tokyo’s famous bullet trains can have you seeing Mount Fuji in no time. Oshu is roughly 286 miles north of Tokyo.
Both of his parents were athletes. His mother, Kayoko, played badminton at the national level during high school. His father, Toru, taught his son baseball and played for a corporate team while working at the local Mitsubishi plant. As the love for the game grew, young Shohei idolized leftfielder Hideki Matsui of Tokyo’s Yomiuri Giants. Matsui eventually left Japan to play for the Yankees. He was not the only player either. Superstar and fan favorite Ichiro Suzuki joined the Mariners two years earlier. Other players migrated over to play in the MLB. Maybe it is the next step in career progression for any of these players. Unlike these players, Ohtani was inserted into the Angels pitching rotation and the batting lineup on a regular basis. Ohtani chose to continue his two-way playing career over choosing a single position.
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These two players had entirely different backgrounds. Ruth began his life in a cold snowy city in February during the 19th century. Ohtani joined the world in the warm summer month of July in a small town in a rugged area in Japan. Ruth did not have the parental guidance that Ohtani had. Ruth’s father took no interest in him and worked in a saloon. Ohtani’s father had a respectable profession and introduced baseball to him at a young age. Ruth did not have a father-figure in his life until Brother Matthias arrived to St Mary’s school. Neither one of Ruth’s parents were athletically inclined, whereas both of Ohtani’s parents played sports and promoted it. The differences do not end there. Ohtani was the youngest of three. Ruth was an only child. By the age of eight, Ohtani played regularly in weekend little league games. Ruth’s playing days did not begin until his mid-teen years.
Although their beginning are opposites, there are many similarities. Both men pitched and played the outfield and batted left-handed. Both were successful two-way players and to continue this analysis, each season must be compared. In the following parts, I analyzed each player’s first five seasons. Each player had their own obstacles to overcome. Every facet of the game of baseball has changed during the 104 years between each players rookie season. Factors such as travel will be assessed. During Ruth’s days, players rode the train to St Louis and was as far west any baseball team travelled. Ohtani and the Angels fly to Florida from Los Angeles to play the Rays. Who had it easier and who had it harder? Please continue to follow me on https://medium.com/@baseballnamesandnumbers for this interesting comparison.
That was baseball and that was fun.
References
Leavy, J. (2018). The Big Fella. New York, NY, USA: Harper Collins.