Special Thanks From Shohei Ohtani To Philadelphia Phillies All-Star.
During his postgame news conference, the Los Angeles Dodgers star gave a Philadelphia Phillies All-Star some love. It might as well have been a Philadelphia Phillies regular season game, even though the schedule called it the All-Star Game. The reason for this is that the Phillies were selected to eight All-Star teams this season; six of those players played in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the American League.
It was the first time Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani had met and spent time with several National League All-Stars, including the representatives of Philadelphia. He’s still getting acclimated to life in the National League after playing for the Los Angeles Angels for his first six seasons in the American League. Ohtani got to meet a number of the greatest players in the National League, such as Christian Yelich, Pete Alonso, and Paul Skenes, but one Phillies All-Star in particular caught his attention.
During his press conference following the game, Ohtani specifically acknowledged Bryce Harper. “I had an opportunity to get a pretty close look at Bryce Harper and the preparation that he does before the game, so really Bryce Harper stood out to me,” Ohtani said through a translator. From Ohtani, who is possibly the best player in baseball right now, it is high praise indeed. With a three-run home slam against Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck in the All-Star Game, the two-time MVP once again demonstrated his superiority by scoring all three of the NL’s runs.
Like Ohtani, Harper is also a two-time MVP and former Rookie of the Year. He’s been in the big leagues considerably longer, however, debuting in 2012 — a full six years before Ohtani arrived from Japan.
As such, Harper carries himself like a grizzled veteran at this point. He’s in his 13th MLB season and has been to eight All-Star Games — twice as many as Ohtani. He’s also been to the postseason many times, something that Ohtani’s never done.
Predicted for greatness when he was just a teenager, Harper’s been working his whole life for this. That intense drive and focus helped him return from Tommy John surgery in record time last year.
When their teams faced off last week, Ohtani saw Harper, but this was a different situation. He was blown away by Harper’s act when he saw it in person, not to mention his stunning red carpet ensemble.
