World Series Little League Player Criticizes Shohei Ohtani's Humility Following Encounter
In the world of Major League Baseball, the spotlight shines bright on Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers' superstar. Ohtani, who previously played for the Angels, is making a cautious and measured return from two major elbow surgeries, with the Dodgers carefully managing his workload to protect his health and maintain his effectiveness both as a pitcher and hitter [1][3][5].
Recently, Ohtani posted a strong outing with nine strikeouts in five innings, securing his first pitching win for the Dodgers this season [1]. The team expects him to start games deep into the season, with hopes to have him contribute significantly in the postseason. However, the focus remains on protecting his arm and overall condition to avoid further injury.
However, Ohtani's off-field life has not been without controversy. Last season, Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, found themselves embroiled in a lawsuit with a Hawaii real estate investor and broker [2]. Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani's former interpreter, was also imprisoned for stealing nearly $17 million [6].
A lesser-known encounter involving Ohtani took place before he joined the Dodgers. Monica Arcuri, a Little League World Series player from Australia, had an interaction with Ohtani that led her to believe he is not humble. Arcuri, who became the 24th girl to play in the Little League Baseball World Series and the 11th to record a hit [4], described the incident during her interview on the KidsCast [7].
Arcuri stated that Ohtani is not humble and she does not like him since that incident. During that game, a fan gave the ball from Ohtani's home run to Arcuri's brother. However, the next day, Arcuri asked Ohtani for his signature but received a side-eye and an unfriendly glance [7].
Interestingly, Arcuri did not criticize Ohtani after her time in Williamsport. In fact, she attended a Los Angeles Angels game in 2023 where Ohtani homered off Toronto Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi [7].
Australia's Little League team opened with a 7-2 loss to Panama but bounced back with a 5-3 win over Europe-Africa to avoid early elimination. However, they were eventually eliminated from the international bracket after a 12-0 loss to Canada [4].
References:
- Los Angeles Times
- Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- ESPN
- ABC News Australia
- MLB.com
- Japan Today
- ESPN KidsCast
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