This is why we love Shohei Ohtani - even in a throwaway quote, he's thinking about the moment, the drama, the storyline.
Before departing for Team Japan's WBC preparations, Ohtani was asked if he would volunteer to pitch if Japan needed him in a ninth-inning scenario. His response? "If Mike Trout shows up, it's tempting."
Let me take you back to the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Ninth inning. Championship game. Japan versus Team USA. Shohei Ohtani on the mound. Mike Trout at the plate. Two of the game's greatest players, former teammates with the Los Angeles Angels, facing off for all the marbles.
Ohtani won that battle, striking out Trout to clinch the championship. It was must-see TV, the kind of moment that transcends sports. And the fact that Ohtani is still thinking about it tells you everything you need to know about these competitors.
These guys never forget the battles that made them who they are. They remember every at-bat, every pitch, every moment where they tested each other. And they want more.
Ohtani is coming off Tommy John surgery, so pitching in the WBC isn't a realistic expectation. But the playful comment shows his competitive fire is still burning, that he remembers what it felt like to face his friend and former teammate in the biggest moment of his career.
Ohtani vs. Trout in a pressure situation would be appointment television. It would be the kind of drama that makes baseball special - two transcendent talents, mutual respect, and everything on the line.
The WBC gave us that moment once. Maybe, just maybe, we'll get it again. And if we do, you better believe Ohtani will be ready.
That's what sports is all about, folks - the rivalry, the respect, and the understanding that the greatest moments come when the greatest players face off when it matters most.
