Shohei Ohtani is one-of-one. Not just because he is the only player in MLB history to have ever hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season. Not just because he’s the first guy to regularly hit and pitch since Babe Ruth.
He also appears to be a very nice and present player. Earlier this season umpires told us that Ohtani is the only player in baseball who says hello every single time he comes to the plate. On Tuesday night he showed a whole new level of concern for the home plate umpire.
First, Ohtani, coming off an 0-for-10 streak, made sure to clean some rogue dirt off the plate after a pitch in the dirt made a mess of home plate. Then a couple pitches later he fouled a ball off the inside of home plate umpire Alan Porter’s knee. Ohtani immediately checked on him.
And then he hit a baseball very far.
Ohtani is now tied with Aaron Judge with 30 home runs, just three behind Cal Raleigh. Judge and Raleigh both still trail Ohtani in kind gestures.
