logo
Hernández: How Japan media track down Ohtani's home-run balls

Hernández: How Japan media track down Ohtani's home-run balls

Yahoo01-06-2025
Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani, left, watches the flight of his a solo home run in the first inning as Yankees pitcher Max Fried, center, reacts. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Shohei Ohtani was about halfway through his home-run trot when Taro Abe stood up from his second-row seat in the Vin Scully Press Box and tucked his green scorebook under his right arm.
'Let's go,' Abe said in Japanese.
Advertisement
Abe, a writer for Japan's Chunichi Sports newspaper, was followed into the concourse of Dodger Stadium's suite level by four other reporters from his country. They were on a mission: Find the person who caught Ohtani's home-run ball.
There was nothing special about this blast, which was Ohtani's second on Friday in an eventual 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees. The homer was Ohtani's 22nd of the season and reduced the Dodgers' deficit at the time from three to two.
'We have to do this every time,' Abe said.
This practice started a couple of years ago, when Ohtani was still playing for the Angels. The appetite for Ohtani content was insatiable in Japan, but the two-way player started speaking to reporters only after games in which he pitched. Naoyuki Yanagihara of Sports Nippon and Masaya Kotani of Full Count figured out a solution for their problem: They started interviewing the fans who caught his home-run balls.
Advertisement
Read more: Hernández: 'I have no words for it.' Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani inspires awe and confidence
The feature was received well by their readers and gradually spread to other publications. Now, besides the homers that land in bullpens or any other place inaccessible to fans, a group of Japanese reporters will be there to interview the person who snagged the prized souvenir.
Neither Yanagihara nor Kotani was on this particular journey into the right-field pavilion, as Yanagihara was temporarily back in Japan and Kotani remained in the press box. Both of their publications were represented by other reporters. I was there too.
One of the reporters, Michi Murayama of Sports Hochi, looked at me curiously.
Advertisement
'You're coming?' she asked.
Abe joked: 'He's coming to write how ridiculous the Japanese media is.'
As we walked down a carpeted hallway by the suites down the first-base line, Abe turned around and asked if anyone had seen who caught the ball.
No one had.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hit a pair of home runs off Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Before departing from the press box, reporters usually study replays of the homer to find identifying features of the ballhawk. But in this case, the scramble for the ball was obscured by a short barrier that divided a television cameraman from the crowd.
Abe led the pack out of an exit near the Stadium Club. When we re-entered the ballpark at the loge level, we heard a familiar chant: 'Fre-ddie! Fre-ddie!'
Advertisement
The reporters stopped to watch the game from behind the last row of seats. Freeman doubled in a run to reduce the Dodgers' deficit to one, and pandemonium ensued. A young woman clutching a beer danced. Strangers exchanged high-fives. Others performed the Freddie Dance.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone removed Max Fried from the game, and called Jonathan Loáisiga from the bullpen. It was time for us to move on.
Seniority heavily influences professional and personal interactions in Japanese culture, which was why when we reached the top of the right-field pavilion, the two-most-junior reporters were told to find the ball-catching fan and return with him. Iori Kobayashi of Sports Nippon, 25, and Akihiro Ueno of Full Count, 27, accepted their fates without question.
However, the veteran Murayama noticed they weren't making any progress, and soon she was in the middle of the pavilion with them. She came back soon after to tell us we were in the wrong place.
Advertisement
'We have to go down to the Home Run Seats,' she said, referring to seats directly behind the right-field wall that are in a separate section as the rest of the pavilion.
The ushers there were helpful, describing how the ball struck the portable plastic wall behind the cameraman, rolled under the barrier, and was taken by a boy in a gray jersey. Murayama found the boy and said he would speak to the group when the inning was over.
'They usually come after the inning because they want to watch the game too,' Abe said.
Read more: Shohei Ohtani homers twice and Dodgers pull off another comeback against Yankees
Advertisement
While we waited, Eriko Takehama of Sankei Sports approached Abe and showed him a picture of a fan holding up a piece of the plastic wall that was struck by Ohtani's homer. The piece had broken off, and the fan told Takehama that he was taking it home.
'Do you want to talk to him?' Takehama asked Abe. 'He said he caught a ball three years ago.'
Abe declined.
While watching Max Muncy taking first base on an intentional walk, Abe said, 'Everyone has a story. You ask them where they live, where they work and there's usually something interesting. We're writing human-interest stories with Ohtani as a cover.'
Advertisement
This story would be about a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Monrovia named Fisher Luginvuhl. With his mother standing nearby, the Little League catcher gushed, 'It's like the best thing that's ever happened to me.'
The reporters circled the boy and photographed him holding up the ball. They exchanged numbers with Luginvuhl's father so they could send him links to the stories they produced.
While the reporters worked together to locate Luginvuhl, they were also in competition with each other to post the story first. Murayama wrote hers on her phone as she walked. Ueno sent audio of the six-minute interview to the Full Count offices in Japan, where the recording was transcribed by an English-speaking reporter, who then used the quotes to write a story.
Walking to the right-field pavilion and back was exhausting. I mentioned this to Abe, and he reminded me, 'This was my second time doing this today.'
Advertisement
Abe wrote 13 stories on Friday night, 10 of them about Ohtani, including two on fans who caught his homers.
Just as we returned to the press box, the next hitter was announced over the public-address system: 'Shohei Ohtani!'
Abe laughed and braced for another long walk.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Blake Snell is sharp in Dodgers return, but Rays get the win
Blake Snell is sharp in Dodgers return, but Rays get the win

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Blake Snell is sharp in Dodgers return, but Rays get the win

Blake Snell nearly had a flawless return from the injured list on Saturday afternoon. If only the Tampa Bay Rays didn't have slugger Yandy Díaz, or a quirky short right-field wall at their temporary home at Steinbrenner Field. Making his first start since the second week of the season, when he went down with a shoulder injury that shelved him, Snell largely looked like the ace the Dodgers thought they were getting when they signed him to a $182-million contract this offseason. Over a five-inning start that included eight strikeouts, no walks and a whole bunch of flailing swings by the Rays, the veteran left-hander flashed his two-time Cy Young Award-winning stuff and tantalizing late-season potential. However, in the Dodgers' 4-0 loss to the Rays, Snell gave up three runs on a pair of long balls to Díaz –– who twice took advantage of the ballpark's short porch in right field. After the Rays' permanent home, Tropicana Field in nearby St. Petersburg, had its canvas roof shredded during Hurricane Milton this winter, the club relocated to Steinbrenner Field for this season; using the New York Yankees' open-air, Tampa-based spring training park for its home schedule. Read more: Dodgers welcome deadline additions, hopeful arrival 'raises the floor for our ballclub' Since the 10,000-seat venue was modeled after Yankee Stadium in New York, its defining feature is a short right-field wall (similar to the one in the Bronx) that measures at just 314 feet down the line — eight feet shorter than the dimensions at Tropicana Field. In the bottom of the first inning, Díaz took full advantage, golfing a 3-1 fastball the other way for a solo home run. According to MLB's Statcast system, the ball traveled only 326 feet, and would have stayed in play at each of the league's other 29 stadiums. But not here, and especially not on a sweltering summer afternoon with a first-pitch temperature of 91 degrees. The first-row drive opened the scoring and it wouldn't be the last souvenir Díaz sent that direction on the day. Two innings later, Díaz came back to the plate with Snell seemingly in a groove, having retired seven of the next eight batters, including five on strikeouts. However, on a 1-1 fastball that was up in the zone, Díaz launched one to the opposite field again, hitting a two-run blast on a 341-foot fly ball that would've been a homer in only two other parks (Yankee Stadium itself, and Daikin Park in Houston). Frustrating results that overshadowed an otherwise auspicious day. In the big picture, after all, the Dodgers' main priorities for Snell are: 1) Stay healthy; 2) Pitch better than he did at the start of the season, when his bothersome shoulder contributed to two underwhelming outings that marred the start of his Dodgers career. Down the stretch this season, the Dodgers' biggest strength might be their rotation. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is in the Cy Young Award conversation. Tyler Glasnow has looked improved since returning from his own shoulder injury. Shohei Ohtani has showcased tantalizing talent in his return from a Tommy John procedure. And even Clayton Kershaw has been productive in his 18th season. The biggest linchpin, though, likely remains Snell — whom the Dodgers targeted this offseason in hopes of avoiding the tightrope they walked last October, when their injury-ravaged rotation was almost completely depleted by the start of the postseason. While the Dodgers had managed in Snell's absence, maintaining a narrow lead in the National League West despite another prolonged stretch of patchwork pitching, manager Dave Roberts acknowledged they had missed his 'presence' over the first two-thirds of the season. Having guys like him and Glasnow back, Roberts added, could mean 'everything' to the team's chances entering the stretch run of the campaign. 'Last year, we found a way to do it, not having that [rotation depth],' Roberts said. 'But having the starters healthy, pitching the way they're capable of, makes it a better quality of life for everyone.' Outside of the Díaz home run, Snell offered plenty of promise in his return to action. First and foremost, he filled up the strike zone, eliminating his habit of nibbling around the plate by throwing 57 strikes in 86 pitches. And, in another positive development, many of those strikes were of the swing-and-miss variety. Snell racked up 19 whiffs on Saturday, tied for third-most by a Dodgers pitcher in a game this season. Seven came on 12 total swings against his changeup, a key offspeed pitch that showed no signs of rust even after his long layoff. Five others were courtesy of his slider, with the Rays coming up empty on all five swing attempts against it. It wasn't enough to help the Dodgers win on Saturday — when their lineup managed only six hits and squandered its best opportunity to rally on Teoscar Hernández's bases-loaded, inning-ending double-play grounder in the top of the sixth. But it did raise the hopes about the potential of the team's late-season rotation, offering a glimpse of the dominance the Dodgers will need out of Snell the rest of the year. 'I think this is sort of what we envisioned,' Roberts said, with his pitching staff finally looking closer to its original design. 'It hasn't been linear, like it ever is, as far as how you get to a place. But … signs are kind of looking like the roster we all intended.' Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Blake Snell surrenders 2 home runs in return from IL as Dodgers lose 4-0 to Rays
Blake Snell surrenders 2 home runs in return from IL as Dodgers lose 4-0 to Rays

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Blake Snell surrenders 2 home runs in return from IL as Dodgers lose 4-0 to Rays

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell made his first start since April 2 on Saturday and gave up two home runs during a 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Snell was activated off the injured list after missing the last four months with left shoulder inflammation. He had made only two starts to begin the season, allowing two earned runs and 10 hits in nine total innings. However, the left-hander only registered four strikeouts with eight walks, likely indicating something wasn't right. On Saturday, Snell went five innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. Yandy Díaz, Snell's former teammate in Tampa, took him deep twice during the Rays' win. The Dodgers were curiously quiet at the MLB trade deadline, adding reliever Brock Stewart and outfielder Alex Call. But that may have been because the team anticipated getting pitchers like Snell back. If he's as effective as he's been during his previous nine seasons, Snell could be a more impactful addition than any trade acquisition. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Wednesday that Snell was scheduled to start Saturday. He threw a bullpen session Thursday to get into his routine for a regular starting spot. Snell started 108 games for Tampa Bay, compiling a 3.24 ERA and 42-30 record while averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He was traded to the San Diego Padres before the 2021 season and pitched for the Dodgers' NL West rivals for three seasons, posting a 3.15 ERA, averaging 11.9 Ks per nine innings and winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2023. After becoming a free agent following the 2023 season, Snell was one of the "Boras Four," clients of infamous super-agent Scott Boras who had difficulty getting lucrative long-term contracts on the open market. Ultimately, Snell settled for a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. But he opted out of the deal after the first year, trying free agency again after notching 145 strikeouts in 104 innings. Snell signed a five-year, $182 million deal with the Dodgers last November, joining what appeared to be a powerhouse rotation for one of the best teams in baseball. Injuries have prevented that rotation — which includes Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin and Shohei Ohtani — from following through on that promise. But with nearly all of those pitchers now recovering, the Dodgers could have a formidable rotation by the end of the season and into the postseason if they remain healthy.

Manti Te'o explains why Kyren Williams puts defenses in a 'very uncomfortable situation'
Manti Te'o explains why Kyren Williams puts defenses in a 'very uncomfortable situation'

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Manti Te'o explains why Kyren Williams puts defenses in a 'very uncomfortable situation'

Kyren Williams is entering his third season as the Los Angeles Rams' starting running back after rushing for a total of 2,443 yards in the last two years alone. He's also added 66 catches for 388 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver, contributing in multiple ways for the Rams. Though the Rams do have talent behind him with Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter, it's Williams' job to lose. The coaching staff loves him, as do his teammates, which is why the team is considering an extension for the young running back. His ability to rack up yards on the ground and also help out as a receiver is what makes him so dangerous, says former NFL linebacker Manti Te'o. He explained to Rich Eisen this week why Williams puts defenses in 'a very uncomfortable situation' when he's on the field no matter the down and distance. 'The thing about the one-back approach is this: It keeps everything at your disposal,' Te'o said. 'When you send in a scat back, defensively, I know 80% of the time you're going to throw the ball. So there's a tendency marker that defensively, I can get into your huddle a little bit. 'OK, if I see Alvin Kamara back there, yeah, he can run the ball. But you're mainly throwing him the ball.' So defensively, when you have Kyren in the game first and second and third down, I don't know what you're going to do. It just puts the defense in a very uncomfortable situation and position to be in.' The Rams have long preferred to have a workhorse back, going back to the days of Todd Gurley – one of the best dual-threat players of the last decade. He played a ton of snaps for the Rams, often staying on the field on third down because he was such a dangerous receiver. Williams isn't quite the pass catcher that Gurley is, but he's a terrific blocker in the backfield and is particularly good as a receiver in the red zone. Corum and Hunter are capable receivers, as well, but if the Rams bring them in exclusively on third downs, it'll be a tell for the defense. This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' Kyren Williams puts defenses in 'uncomfortable situation'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store