Los Angeles Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Makes Baseball History by Creating 50/50 Club
His origin story is unlikely, growing up in a small city in northern Japan where he played catch for hours with his dad, who worked at the local Mitsubishi plant.
On Thursday night, the boy from Oshu slugged and stole his way to baseball immortality.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers went 6 for 6 with two home runs, two doubles, two steals and 10 RBI, delivering the greatest single-game offensive performance ever, and becoming the first player in history to exceed 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.
With a rare combination of power and speed, the 30-year-old superstar created the 50/50 club with his first two home runs of the night, as the Dodgers crushed the Marlins 20-4. Then he added another home run and another stolen base to set a new 51/51 record.
And he may not be done yet: There are nine games left in the regular season.
“To be honest with you, I’m the one who’s probably the most surprised,” Ohtani told SportsNetLA.
Shohei Ohtani spoke post-game with @kirsten_watson about his offensive performance, becoming the only player in the 50/50 club and clinching his first postseason berth. pic.twitter.com/OCh1CTs3JO
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 20, 2024
Until this year, only five men had ever hit at least 40 home runs and stolen at least 40 bases in MLB history. Ohtani joined their ranks then blasted by them: Alfonso Soriano, then a Washington National, held the previous home run record of 46 with 41 steals, while last year Ronald Acu?a Jr. of the Atlanta Braves slammed 41 home runs with an astonishing 73 steals.
Video Shows Shohei Ohtani’s Home Run Ball Hitting Young Fan on Head
"We're watching the greatest player to ever play the game, and he's not even pitching this year," said Dodgers teammate Gavin Lux. Ohtani is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is batting as the designated hitter.
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers earlier this year. And unlike so many players who have fizzled after megadeals, Ohtani has smashed his way into the record books.
No other 50-home run hitter had ever stolen more than 30 bases until Ohtani.
Meanwhile, the fan who caught Ohtani's 50th home run ball reportedly is not returning it to the Dodgers. MLB Network's Craig Mish reported that the fan engaged in a "discussion" with the team but decided to keep the ball, which could be worth more than $1 million.
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