I'm Starting to Get the Impression Keith Olbermann Isn't Rooting For Shohei Ohtani's Success
Shohei Ohtani is a very talented baseball player who can both hit and pitch effectively at the MLB level. On Sunday evening he did both, as he started the game at pitcher and hit on the same day for the first time in his career. Ohtani gave up one earned run and two hits in 4.2 innings. and threw the fastest pitch of the season, nearly hitting 101 on the radar gun. Then he stepped to the plate and hit a home run with a 115.2mph exit velocity. It was cool stuff that all baseball fans could enjoy. Well, most baseball fans.
Yes, a man hitting .189 with a 8.95 ERA over the last two seasons is everything we thought he could be. ??♂️
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 5, 2021
Can we get him to just 300 games as a hitter and maybe 40 as a pitcher before building the statues? https://t.co/lK0OOZTHWj
Keith Olberman planted his flag in the there's no way Shohei Ohtani can actually do this sand way back when he first signed with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017.
A little cynical reminder from history amid the relentless #Ohtani hype. This position player/pitcher hybrid idea hasn’t really worked since Guy Hecker won 26 games AND the batting title in 1886. Even Babe Ruth abandoned it after 2 years. #TheyAllPickOneJob pic.twitter.com/uELhzksZSr
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) December 9, 2017
Before Ohtani's first Spring Training in America had even ended, Olbermann was ready to call it.
Let’s face it: BOTH components of the Ohtani experiment may have already failed https://t.co/mjpYaVaoRk
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 10, 2018
Herein even @mlb backs away from the “Two-Way” Ohtani hype after he got fricaseed for seven earned by the Rockies.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 16, 2018
This. Doesn’t. Work. #UhOhOhtani https://t.co/VU2n1djZIK
Then after Ohtani had a sterling performance in his second MLB start, going striking out 12 and giving up just one hit in seven innings, Olbermann seemed to change his tune. At the time, Ohtani had also hit three home runs through his first four games. Olbermann even went on Outside the Lines to put what Ohtani's performance in historical perspective.
1. Ohtani is perfect through five
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 8, 2018
2. With 10k
3. Admittedly it’s against the A’s
4. Spring training is lie
5. I was wrong about him. And then some.
Fans of baseball are comparing Shohei Ohtani to Babe Ruth, but @KeithOlbermann says it goes back further than that... pic.twitter.com/BnIATGBCpc
— Outside The Lines (@OTLonESPN) April 9, 2018
The love was not everlasting. In June Ohtani was placed on the DL and only pitched once more during his rookie season before undergoing Tommy John surgery that offseason. While he won Rookie of the Year, he lost Olbermann. Ohtani didn't pitch in 2019 as he recovered from surgery, but continued to be fine at the plate. He tried to pitch in 2020, but got shelled in both outings before shutting it down.
All in all, Ohtani has been fine. He's a legitimate big leaguer with all the talent and tools at the plate and on the mound. He's had injury issues and aside from a few flashes, he hasn't been able to put them together quite like he did on Sunday. Even that seemed to end with an injury. Still, Olbermann will not be tricked again. He had some fun at Ohtani's expense.
Ohtani down! Ohtani down! Cancel the season! The greatest human in history may have suffered a strawberry!
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 5, 2021
It's clear Olbermann is in too deep at this point. Ohtani's every up and down seems to affect him personally. If Ohtani can stay healthy and excell as a pitcher and hitter, Olbermann would be proven wrong. You have to assume at this point that if Ohtani picked a position and won a Cy Young or MVP, Olbermann will be there waiting with a Congratuations... why not both?