The Ringer: Shohei Ohtani Is Back—and the Most Exciting DH in Baseball

[rafibomb]

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2019/6/26/18759325/los-angeles-angels-shohei-ohtani-dh-superstar

Some ShoTime pron for you guys

[AngelsLakersFan]

But unfortunately not All Star worthy

[Taylor]

1 minute ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

But unfortunately not All Star worthy

Yep. Totally bizarre that he didn't get the top 3 votes.

In before Calzone and Chuck blame Angel fans.

[Claude]

10 hours ago, Taylor said:

Yep. Totally bizarre that he didn't get the top 3 votes.

In before Calzone and Chuck blame Angel fans.

If Aaron Judge gets in to the All Star game with his 91 at bats then yes, we are to blame. 

[Taylor]

25 minutes ago, Calzone 2 said:

If Aaron Judge gets in to the All Star game with his 91 at bats then yes, we are to blame. 

Again, there are far more Yankee fans in the world than Angel fans. It's partly a lack of Angel fans voting, but mostly about the sheer volume of Yankee fans who exist.

[Claude]

3 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Again, there are far more Yankee fans in the world than Angel fans. It's partly a lack of Angel fans voting, but mostly about the sheer volume of Yankee fans who exist.

But Ohtani has all of Japan. 

[Claude]

9 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Again, there are far more Yankee fans in the world than Angel fans. It's partly a lack of Angel fans voting, but mostly about the sheer volume of Yankee fans who exist.

And how does Minnesota and Texas out vote us. 

[Stradling]

I hate this time a year, it just adds another narrative.  Well Japan screwed him over then.  Maybe they have better things to do than to vote for him.  So shouldn’t all players born in California have an advantage since he has all of California?  

[Stradling]

We do all realize that fan bases like the Dodgers and the Yankees as well as the Cubs all feel scorned by him, right?  We also know that fans look at the stats because when you vote online the stats appear and some fans might just take the numbers and vote for the guy with the best numbers.  

[Jay]

3 minutes ago, Stradling said:

We also know that fans look at the stats because when you vote online the stats appear and some fans might just take the numbers and vote for the guy with the best numbers

Bingo

[Claude]

45 minutes ago, Stradling said:

We also know that fans look at the stats because when you vote online the stats appear and some fans might just take the numbers and vote for the guy with the best numbers.  

Ok so based on that theory La Stella should not be starting in the All Star game. I voted for Tommy as a personal preference knowing that LeMahieu has better numbers. Ohtani in my opinion didn’t play enough this season to get enough support. I do hope he participates in the Home Run Derby. 

[Angel Oracle]

On the surface, in defense of the DH voting, Pence is having his best MLB hitting season (.962 OPS).

But then, one sees that he's only played some 55 games to date, albeit still more games than Shohei has played in so far.

[m0nkey]

Quote

In his own MLB career, Ohtani has hit 159 balls on the ground and produced a .252 batting average and .296 slugging percentage on those plays. On 177 balls in the air? A .546 batting average and 1.218 slugging percentage. Since the start of 2018, only Yelich has fared better on air balls; right behind Ohtani in third place is Judge.

That is crazy

[Lou]

4 hours ago, Taylor said:

Again, there are far more Yankee fans in the world than Angel fans. It's partly a lack of Angel fans voting, but mostly about the sheer volume of Yankee fans who exist.

8% of them have actually been to NYC 

[Taylor]

4 hours ago, Calzone 2 said:

But Ohtani has all of Japan. 

So it's Japan's fault?

[Taylor]

21 minutes ago, Lou said:

8% of them have actually been to NYC 

But they have an uncle or a grandfather who lived in the Bronx as a child. Or something.

[Jay]

3 hours ago, Calzone 2 said:

Ok so based on that theory La Stella should not be starting in the All Star game. I voted for Tommy as a personal preference knowing that LeMahieu has better numbers. Ohtani in my opinion didn’t play enough this season to get enough support. I do hope he participates in the Home Run Derby. 

When voting first started LaStella was leading AL 2B in fWAR, and he led in the voting as well.

Now I see LaStella has slipped to 3rd in AL 2B fWAR and LeMahieu has surged.

Just one possible explanation

[AngelsLakersFan]

4 hours ago, Calzone 2 said:

And how does Minnesota and Texas out vote us. 

Because we don't think Ohtani deserves it.

[Claude]

20 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Because we don't think Ohtani deserves it.

And all that time I thought it was because he is Japanese.

[Inside Pitch]

5 hours ago, Calzone 2 said:

And how does Minnesota and Texas out vote us. 

Us?   You said he was undeserving.  

[Claude]

1 minute ago, Inside Pitch said:

Us?   You said he was undeserving.  

Well you’re kinda dodging the issue that has been around for a very long time before Ohtani even arrived. Us, We, as Angels fans don’t vote. But to be fair, the level of importance isn’t very high anyway. I’ve read many posts right here over the years that nobody really gives a hoot about All Star week. If Ohtani would’ve had the opportunity to play all season and put up big numbers I could see him getting Mike Trout type votes. 

[yk9001]

Some other fan base stuff the ballot more than we do!!

[yk9001]

I love Ohtani's at bats.  That ball he hit last night, in the late innings - while both feet were moving back..  Who does that?

[Inside Pitch]

16 minutes ago, Calzone 2 said:

Well you’re kinda dodging the issue that has been around for a very long time before Ohtani even arrived. Us, We, as Angels fans don’t vote. But to be fair, the level of importance isn’t very high anyway. I’ve read many posts right here over the years that nobody really gives a hoot about All Star week. If Ohtani would’ve had the opportunity to play all season and put up big numbers I could see him getting Mike Trout type votes. 

Not dodging shit...  I'm pointing out the hypocrisy in you calling out others when you went on record that he wasnt good enough for your vote, Superfan.

Angels fans haven't stuffed the ballot boxes since the 80s when I'm willing to bet there were fewer transplants than there are today.  I remember sitting in the stands as a kid as the ushers went around passing out huge numbers of ballots and everyone in the area would start working on them, but things have changed since then.  Online balloting also tends to work in favor of the tiffany teams or those with national profiles and followings -- that's never been the Angels.

I don't disagree that Angels fans are slapdicks when it comes to the voting but you are possibly the last person here that should be calling them out.

Edited June 27, 2019 by Inside Pitch

[Inside Pitch]

2 minutes ago, yk9001 said:

I love Ohtani's at bats.  That ball he hit last night, in the late innings - while both feet were moving back..  Who does that?

I don't think it's possible for anyone to teach a guy how to hit the way he does.  Ichiro, Carew, they too were so very different and imo, impossible to mimic.