"There was nothing unusual about the scene at World Series media day Thursday from the wall of people in front of Shohei Ohtani to the microphones dangled over his head by television reporters stuck in the back of the herd. Here's what had changed in the last week: Ohtani wasn't fielding any more inquiries about how pitching could negatively affect his hitting."
"Rather than serve as an inquisition of Ohtani as a two-way player, this World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays is shaping into a celebration of the most singular act in modern baseball. The questions over him playing both ways have subsided, if not disappeared entirely, which speaks to how much Ohtani looked as if he were back in Little League in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series as he dominated the Milwaukee Brewers from the mound."
"Remember what it was like to see him make baseballs vanish into the October night the next time there are whispers about how the Dodgers might be better off with Ohtani focusing entirely on hitting. Remember what it was like to see him overpower the Brewers with his fastball and sweeper when questions start about him being too old to withstand the workload of a two-way player."
One exceptional game transformed public perception of Shohei Ohtani, shifting the narrative from skepticism about his two-way role to celebration of his abilities. Ohtani struck out 10 batters and hit three homers while dominating on the mound and at the plate in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers. Media encounters at World Series media day reflected that shift, with fewer questions about pitching harming his hitting. Spectacular performances like that quiet doubters and provide a lasting reference when future workload concerns arise. Baseball and Ohtani both benefit from preserving his role as a two-way player.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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