Shohei Ohtani knows a thing or two about two-way stardom. So it should come as no surprise that, when he became the victim of a position player-turned-pitcher, he handled the aftermath with a sense of humor and grace.
In the eighth inning of Monday’s 10–0 win over the Tigers, Ohtani stepped to the plate to face Detroit infielder Kody Clemens, who was called into mop-up duty to spare the Tigers’ bullpen. Clemens—the son of seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens—had made five career pitching appearances prior to Monday’s game but had never recorded a strikeout. That changed when Ohtani stepped to the plate, with the reigning American League MVP taking a called third strike on a 68-mph pitch that could best be categorized as an eephus.
Clemens reacted giddily and made sure to save the ball as memorabilia. He received a treat the following day when Ohtani signed the ball for him, complete with a written compliment about the “nasty pitch.”
Kody is now 4,671 strikeouts behind his father, but Roger never mowed down a player of quite the same stature as the sensation that is Ohtani. After Tuesday’s performance, Kody can now credibly count Ohtani as one of his two-way peers.
