Most of the time, reality is judged from the perspective and analysis of the present, and in fact this is not a wrong view, but there are also odious comparisons that establish a yardstick, a measure of contrast on certain elements of that reality, which in the light of other times put it in perspective.In sports it happens a lot, and when new dominant figures emerge in any discipline, there is an immediate attempt to establish comparisons, but this tendency finds its main obstacles in the times and their respective realities.
With MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, it is exactly like that, because as soon as he arrived from his native Japan, everyone wanted to compare him to the legendary Babe Ruth for his talent for pitching and hitting, the famous two-way condition that today has everyone fascinated… everyone except one
“Baseball is very different today”
The legendary Barry Bonds appeared on the YouTube show ‘All The Smoke’ to talk about many things about baseball, but it was his judgement about Shohei Ohtani that made the news, as he considers that the Japanese would not have been so dominant in the time in which he played.
Bonds, who is the all-time Major League home run record holder with 762 and one of the greatest hitters in the history of the sport, said: “There is no question about the kind of player he is and what he has achieved in his career. The game has just changed and is very different from what it was when I played. The same way Michael [Jordan] talks about it or anyone else.
“Ohtani is not going to hit two home runs without seeing one in my generation. I don’t care what he does. He’s not going to steal two bases without somebody decapitating his kneecap to stop him because it’s a different game back then“.
Bonds’ passive-aggressive compliments to Ohtani
Bonds then said something that goes against how they want to sell Ohtani thanks to his pitching ability: “I hope he stays in the power hitter category, because he has the ability and he’s an outlier, but pitching could wear him out (…) I think he should come out of the bullpen like he’s done because he’s the designated hitter, he can come out of the bullpen and pitch an inning or two because he’s also very good as a reliever (…) I think he’s a starter and I think he could wear himself out a little bit and get tired. Why fix something that’s not broken?” was the dart Bonds threw.
For some, the problem with Barry Bonds’ perspective is that he does not have the moral standing to criticize anyone, as his legacy in the Majors is still tainted by possible performance-enhancing drug use, something that has so far closed the doors of the Hall of Fame, a place where Ohtani is destined to get into on his first ballot.
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