Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers accomplished the extraordinary feat of hitting 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases in one season of Major League Baseball. Caught up in the moment, Miami Marlin fans demanded he take a curtain call for the record he surpassed.
Ohtani’s magical night on September 18, 2024, is the stuff of the fictional character, Roy Hobbs, played by Robert Redford in the “Natural”. For Hollywood it would be quite a stretch for a baseball screenplay to conceive what Shohei Ohtani actually accomplished this season.
“This game has been played for over 200 years, Shohei has accomplished something that no one has ever done,” proclaimed manager, Dave Roberts.
On his magical record breaking night, Ohtani went 6 for 6 at the plate, hitting three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI and two stolen bases as the Dodgers beat Miami 20-4. But most significantly, he broke a long standing, unthinkable record of hitting 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases in a single season exceeding the previous record of 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season set by Alfonso Soriano in 2006. With his bat and his legs, Shohei Ohtani established the 50/50 club all by himself. The Dodgers won their 91st game to clinch a playoff birth.
The two-way superstar who may return to the mound for the playoffs, transcends the sport with his natural ability, authenticity and charm. Ohtani’s growing popularity extends across the Pacific to his homeland of Japan where he also holds superstar status as the Japanese watch everything he does both on and off the diamond. He is also admired by his baseball peers who watch him do incredible things in every ballpark.
Reciprocating the admiration of his fellow players in the sport, Ohtani declared, “I have great respect for my peers and every player who has come before me in the game of baseball.
