2023年大谷翔平選手の活躍
Ohtani holds first news conference with Dodgers
JAPAN TODAY/ Dec15, 2023
Mainichi Japan/ Dec 15, 2023
毎日新聞 2023/12/15
毎日新聞 2023/12/15
JAPAN TODAY/ Dec10, 2023
Ohtani holds first news conference with Dodgers
JAPAN TODAY/ Dec15, 2023
By BETH HARRIS/ LOS ANGELES
Shohei Ohtani opened his first news conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers
by dodging questions about whether he had a second Tommy John surgery.
“At the time of the announcement, we didn't know which way we were going to go. That's why I never said what type of procedure was going to be done,” Ohtani said Thursday at a news conference to discuss his record $700 million, 10-year contract. About 300 journalists, including nearly 200 from Japan, attended the event.
It was Ohtani’s first time speaking with the media since Aug 9, two weeks before a pitching injury that required surgery with Dodgers head team physician Dr Neal ElAttrache on Sept 19 and will keep him off the mound until 2025. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery with ElAttrache on Oct 1, 2018.
“I’m not obviously an expert in the medical field, but it was a procedure," Ohtani said. "I’m not sure what it’s called, I know it was completely different from my first time, so I don’t know what you what to call it. You could probably talk to my doctor about that.”
Ohtani refused to say what other teams he negotiated with before the agreement last weekend.
“Free agency is still going on and I don't really want to mess with their plans and I don't want to say anything wrong, so I do want to really talk about what I had talks with with other organizations,” he said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Ohtani did, however, reveal the name of his dog, seen on his lap when he appeared on the MLB Network for the announcement of his second MVP award on Nov 16. The dog has the American name “Decoy” and a Japanese name, “Dekopin” or “Decopin” depending on the transliteration.
He wore a navy business suit with a white shirt and blue tie, took off the jacket and put on a Dodgers home jersey with No. 17 and then the blue cap with the interlocking L&A. He took off the cap before speaking.
“One thing that really stands out in my head,” he said, “when I had the meeting with the Dodgers, the ownership group, they said when they looked back at the last 10 years, even though they made the playoffs every single year, won one World Series ring, they considered that a failure. And when I heard that, I knew they were all about winning, and that's exactly how I feel.”
Ohtani never reached the playoffs in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
An electronic sign flashed “Welcome to the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani” in English and Japanese above the stage. Ohtani thanked controlling owner Mark Walter, team president Stan Kasten, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, general manager Brandon Gomes and manager Dave Roberts.
The Dodgers had attempted to sign Ohtani out of high school before he joined the Nippon Ham Fighters.
"Shohei is arguably the most-talented player who has ever played this game," Friedman said, flanked by Ohtani and Walter. “One of our goals is to have baseball fans in Japan convert to Dodger blue.”
A unique two-way star as both a hitter and pitcher, the 29-year-old Japanese sensation left the Angels as a free agent after six years. He’s moving 30 miles up Interstate 5 after the Dodgers won out over the competition in a deal announced Monday. He said he made his decision Friday night, on the eve of his announcement.
Ohtani also thanked the Angels during a news conference started shortly after 3 p.m. and was televised live in Japan at 8 a.m. Friday.
“It was a fun ride, a great ride for the last six years. ... I’ll never forget all the memories I have,” he said. “There’s always sadness leaving teams. Last time it was the Fighters and in this case it was the Angels.”
The two-time AL MVP has a .274 batting average with 171 homers, 437 RBIs and 86 stolen bases along with a 39-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings. Ohtani has 34.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference.
Ohtani’s unusual contract calls for annual salaries of $70 million and of each year’s salary, $68 million is deferred with no interest, payable in equal installments each July 1 from 2034-43. Kasten said Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, proposed the deferred money last Friday, when there were false reports of a possible deal with Toronto.
“Once Shohei had finished meeting with everyone, they said: Here's what it would take. What do you think?” Kasten said.
Deferred money lowered the annual charge to the Dodgers' luxury tax payroll to about $46 million, lowering their competitive balance tax.
“I figured if I can defer as much money as I can, if that's going to help the CBT and that's going help the Dodgers be able to sign better players and make a better team, I felt like that was worth it,” he said.
Ohtani can opt out of the deal if either Walter or Friedman no longer is with the team, a person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms were not announced.
“Everybody has to be on the same page in order to have a winning organization," Ohtani said. "I feel like those two are at the top of it and they’re in control of everything. And I feel almost like I’m having a contract with those two guys. And I feel like if one of them are gone ... things might get a little out of control so I just wanted a safety net.”
Said Friedman: “Obviously, it’s really flattering but also it’s a non-factor for me.”
In first news conference with Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani dodges questions on Tommy John surgery
Mainichi Japan/ Dec 15, 2023
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shohei Ohtani opened his first news conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers by dodging questions about whether he had a second Tommy John surgery.
"At the time of the announcement, we didn't know which way we were going to go. That's why I never said what type of procedure was going to be done," Ohtani said Thursday at a news conference to discuss his record $700 million, 10-year contract.
It was Ohtani's first time speaking with the media since Aug. 9, two weeks before a pitching injury that required surgery with Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Sept. 19 and will keep him off the mound until 2025. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery with ElAttrache on Oct. 1, 2018.
"I'm not obviously an expert in the medical field, but it was a procedure," Ohtani said. "I'm not sure what it's called, I know it was completely different from my first time, so I don't know what you what to call it. You could probably talk to my doctor about that."
Ohtani refused to say what other teams he negotiated with before the agreement last weekend.
"Free agency is still going on and I don't really want to mess with their plans and I don't want to say anything wrong, so I don't want to really talk about what I had talks with with other organizations," he said through translator Ippei Mizuhara.
Ohtani did, however, reveal the name of his dog, seen on his lap when he appeared on the MLB Network for the announcement of his second MVP award on Nov. 16. The dog has the American name "Decoy" and a Japanese name, "Dekopin" or "Decopin" depending on the transliteration.
He wore a navy business suit with a white shirt and blue tie, took off the jacket and put on a Dodgers home jersey with No. 17 and then the blue cap with the interlocking L&A. He took off the cap before speaking.
"One thing that really stands out in my head," he said, "when I had the meeting with the Dodgers, the ownership group, they said when they looked back at the last 10 years, even though they made the playoffs every single year, won one World Series ring, they considered that a failure. And when I heard that, I knew they were all about winning, and that's exactly how I feel."
Ohtani never reached the playoffs in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
An electronic sign flashed "Welcome to the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani" in English and Japanese above the stage. Ohtani thanked controlling owner Mark Walter, team president Stan Kasten, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, general manager Brandon Gomes and manager Dave Roberts.
The Dodgers had attempted to sign Ohtani out of high school before he joined the Nippon Ham Fighters.
"Shohei is arguably the most-talented player who has ever played this game," Friedman said, flanked by Ohtani and Walter. "One of our goals is to have baseball fans in Japan convert to Dodger blue."
A unique two-way star as both a hitter and pitcher, the 29-year-old Japanese sensation left the Angels as a free agent after six years. He's moving 30 miles up Interstate 5 after the Dodgers won out over the competition in a deal announced Monday. He said he made his decision Friday night, on the eve of his announcement.
Ohtani also thanked the Angels during a news conference started shortly after 3 p.m. (8 a.m. Friday in Japan).
Reporters watch as Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, standing third from right, is introduced during a baseball news conference at Dodger Stadium on Dec. 14, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
"It was a fun ride, a great ride for the last six years. ... I'll never forget all the memories I have," he said. "There's always sadness leaving teams. Last time it was the Fighters and in this case it was the Angels."
The two-time AL MVP has a .274 batting average with 171 homers, 437 RBIs and 86 stolen bases along with a 39-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings. Ohtani has 34.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference.
Ohtani's unusual contract calls for annual salaries of $70 million and of each year's salary, $68 million is deferred with no interest, payable in equal installments each July 1 from 2034-43. Kasten said Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, proposed the deferred money last Friday, when there were false reports of a possible deal with Toronto.
"Once Shohei had finished meeting with everyone, they said: Here's what it would take. What do you think?" Kasten said.
Deferred money lowered the annual charge to the Dodgers' luxury tax payroll to about $46 million, lowering their competitive balance tax.
"I figured if I can defer as much money as I can, if that's going to help the CBT and that's going help the Dodgers be able to sign better players and make a better team, I felt like that was worth it," he said.
Ohtani can opt out of the deal if either Walter or Friedman no longer is with the team, a person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms were not announced.
"Everybody has to be on the same page in order to have a winning organization," Ohtani said. "I feel like those two are at the top of it and they're in control of everything. And I feel almost like I'm having a contract with those two guys. And I feel like if one of them are gone ... things might get a little out of control so I just wanted a safety net."
Said Friedman: "Obviously, it's really flattering but also it's a non-factor for me."
大谷翔平、契約から見えたWS制覇の本気度 勝利渇望の背番号17
毎日新聞 2023/12/15 11:09
米大リーグのドジャースに移籍した大谷翔平選手（29）が14日（日本時間15日）、ロサンゼルスのドジャースタジアムで記者会見に臨んだ。大谷選手は勝利へのこだわりを強調し、明かされた契約内容の一端からもワールドシリーズ（WS）制覇を目指す「本気度」がうかがえた。
「野球選手としてあとどれくらいできるか誰も分からない。勝つことが僕にとって今一番、大事なことかなと思う」
背番号「17」の白地に青のユニホームに袖を通した大谷選手は和やかな雰囲気で進んだ会見の中でも、何度も勝利への強い思いを口にした。
発表前夜に決断したというドジャース移籍の決め手は「最終的にそこでプレーしたいなという気持ちに素直に従った」と説明。その上で勝利、優勝の優先順位はどれくらい高かったのかと問われると、「僕自身の優先順位は契約形態から分かるように一番上」と答えた。
交渉ではマーク・ウォルター・オーナーらが語った「ドジャースが経験してきたこの10年間を、全く成功だとは思っていない」との言葉が印象に残ったという。大谷選手は「それだけ勝ちたい意志がみんな強いんだなと心に残った。大事なのは全員が勝ちに、同じ方向を向いていること。オーナーグループやフロントの方々、もちろんチームメート、ファンの皆さんも。みんながそこに向かっているというのが一番大事かなと思います」と決断の背景を語った。
「同じ方向」を向くための覚悟は、契約内容にも込められていた。
会見では海外メディアから「ウォルター・オーナーか（アンドルー・）フリードマン編成本部長が退団した際はオプトアウト（契約破棄）できる条件も入っていると思うが」と質問が出た。いずれかが球団を去った場合は、大谷選手も契約期間途中で破棄することができる「キーマン条項」と呼ばれる権利だ。
大谷選手は「先ほども言ったように、みんなが同じ方向を向いているのが大事だと思う」と繰り返し強調。その上で「ドジャースに入団すると同時にメインのこのお二方と契約するという形ですし、そこがもし崩れるのであれば、契約自体も崩れることになるのかなと思います」と語り、本気で頂点を目指すチームの現体制に全幅の信頼を寄せた。
年俸総額が基準を超えた球団への課徴金（ぜいたく税）を回避するために契約額の大半を後払いにしていることについても問われると、大谷選手は「自分が今受け取れる金額を我慢して、ペイロール（年俸総額）に柔軟性を持たせられるのであれば、僕は後払いで全然いいですというのが始まり」。球団の強化、チームの勝利を優先する姿勢を鮮明にした。
移籍を巡っては10年総額7億ドル（約1015億円）で世界のスポーツ市場最高額となる超大型契約が注目された。一方で、大谷選手の原点にある「勝利」への純粋な欲求には、みじんの変化もないことを感じる新たな門出となった。【角田直哉】
大谷翔平の愛犬「デコピンですけど…」 配慮で「ディコイ」と紹介
毎日新聞 2023/12/15
米大リーグのドジャースに移籍した大谷翔平選手（29）が14日（日本時間15日）、ロサンゼルスの本拠地ドジャースタジアムで入団記者会見に臨んだ。会見では最優秀選手（MVP）受賞時に話題となった犬の名前について、「デコピン」と明かす一幕もあった。
会見では海外メディアが「注目された犬の名前について、ここで発表してもらえませんか」と質問。大谷選手は笑みを浮かべながら「デコピンっていうんですけど」と応じ、「こちらでは発音的に難しい。元の名前がディコイっていうので、こちらではディコイと紹介しています」と続けた。
その理由についても「元々ディコイっていう名前があったのでそれに近い感じで選びました」と語った。
大谷選手と「デコピン」を巡っては、MVP発表時、MLBネットワークの番組にオンラインで出演した際、一緒に映る姿が話題となっていた。【角田直哉】
Ohtani agrees to record $700 million 10-year contract with Dodgers
JAPAN TODAY/ Dec. 10, 2023
By RONALD BLUM/ NEW YORK
Shohei Ohtani has set a financial record to go along with his singular on-field performance, getting a record $700 million to make a 30-mile move up Interstate 5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His agent, Nez Balelo, issued a midafternoon news release Saturday announcing the 10-year contract, ending months of speculation that began even before Ohtani became a free agent on Nov 2. In recent days, media and fans had tracked private plane movements and alleged sightings like detectives in attempts to discern the intentions of the two-time AL MVP with the Angels.
“This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player," Balelo said. “He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success.”
Ohtani's total was 64% higher than baseball's previous record, a $426.5 million, 12-year deal for Angels outfielder Mike Trout that began in 2019.
His $70 million average salary is 62% above the previous high of $43,333,333, shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with deals they struck with the New York Mets. Ohtani's average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3 million he earned with the Angels. It also exceeds the entire payrolls of Baltimore and Oakland this year.
His agreement includes unprecedented deferred money that will lower the amount it counts toward the Dodgers' luxury tax payroll, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details were not announced.
“He structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success," Balelo said. “Shohei and I want to thank all the organizations that reached out to us for their interest and respect, especially the wonderful people we got to know even better as this process unfolded.”
This is perhaps the largest contract in sports history, topping highs believed to be set by soccer stars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
There was no immediate comment by the Dodgers. Ohtani has not spoken with reporters since Aug 9.
“I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision,” Ohtani said in an English-language statement on Instagram. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process."
“And to all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself,” he continued. “Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.”
Ohtani joins a lineup that also includes 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts and 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers won the NL West this year for the 10th time in 11 seasons before they were swept by Arizona in the Division Series in October.
Los Angeles begins the 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea, against San Diego on March 20-21.
Ohtani’s decision came six years and one day after he first agreed to his deal with Angels.
Ohtani has redefined modern baseball since he chose the Angels as his first major league team. Nobody has come close to matching his achievements at the plate and on the mound, becoming one of the majors’ elite players in both roles when healthy. Along the way, he has become one of the most marketable athletes in the world, a force when it comes to ticket sales, TV ratings and sponsorship revenue.
He was a unanimous AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 — he finished second in 2022 — winning this year despite injuring his elbow in late August and an oblique muscle in early September.
Ahead of his 30th birthday on July 5, he has a .274 average with 171 homers, 437 RBIs and 86 stolen bases along with a 39-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings. Ohtani has 34.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference.
The Halos are a perennial also-ran, both in the AL standings and in the Los Angeles market, but they won Ohtani’s services in late 2017 partly by promising him the freedom to train and to play however he wanted. Ohtani immediately dazzled the entire sport in 2018, batting .285 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs as a designated hitter and going 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts.
Ohtani won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2018 despite making just one pitching appearance after early June due to an injured elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery following the season. Ohtani made just two mound appearances in the next two years while continuing to play as the Angels’ DH.
When his arm was finally healthy in 2021, Ohtani put together a season for the ages.
He won the AL MVP award with 46 homers and 100 RBIs at the plate while going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA on the mound. He improved as a pitcher in 2022, going 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP while still driving in 95 runs at the plate, but finished behind Aaron Judge in the MVP voting after the Yankees star hit an AL record 62 homers.
After winning the MVP award in the World Baseball Classic last March while leading Japan to victory — he struck out Trout to end the tournament — Ohtani maintained his two-way magnificence this year, hitting 44 homers with a career-high 1.066 OPS while going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA before tearing his elbow ligament again on Aug. 23. He didn’t hit after Sept. 3 because of the strained right oblique.
Along with his elbow injuries, Ohtani’s transcendent success has come with another significant damper: He has never made the playoffs or even played on a winning team in the majors. Owner Arte Moreno’s Angels haven’t won more than 80 games or finished higher than third in the AL West during his tenure alongside Trout, a three-time AL MVP, and a perennially disappointing cast of supporting players.
Ohtani earned $42,269,259 in his six seasons with the Angels. After receiving a signing bonus of $2,315,000 with his initial deal, he had salaries of $545,000, $650,000, $259,259 (in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season), $3 million, $5.5 million and $30 million.
