A columnist in the
Sun-Times today took it upon himself to fan the flames of Ohtani Mania. Not only did he refer to the “Babe Ruth of
Japan” who comes with a 100 mph fastball, but he found a reason why Shohei
Ohtani would want to play for the Cubs.
It’s manager Joe Maddon, of course.
It seems that Maddon
wanted to experiment with the two-way player idea when he managed in the minors
but couldn’t get the OK. So, why not
indulge Maddon then, on the big-league stage?
Let me count the ways.
First, where are you
going to put Ohtani, given that he projects as a corner outfielder in the
National League (as opposed to an American League dh)? Team president Theo Epstein has Kyle
Schwarber, his human good-luck charm, in left and Jason Heyward, his $184
million albatross, in right. Tell me,
where does that leave Ohtani?
And when will
sportswriters stop talking about Babe Ruth and start considering the physical
challenges involved in trying to pitch and hit fulltime in the majors? Can a body hold up over the course of a
season? Calling Dr. (Mike) Marshall,
calling Dr. Marshall, or any other kinesiologist with an understanding of what
athletes put their bodies through.
But, hey, it’s
December and a guy has got to fill his column up with something. Too bad it’s so much gibberish.
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