The historic 10-year, $700 million contract signed by star Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 was undoubtedly a milestone in MLB. However, beyond the astronomical figures surrounding it, it has been a recent revelation by his mother, Kayoko Ohtani, that has ignited a deep debate in the baseball community, putting cultural values and personal dignity in the spotlight.
Kayoko Ohtani, along with Shohei’s father Toru, always instilled in their son a deep sense of humility and discipline. In a conversation that recently came to light on social media, the player’s mother revealed a phrase as simple as it is powerful: “I keep working”. This statement, in the context that her son earns more than $100 million a year just in sponsorships and marketing deals, in addition to his monumental sports contract, has caused much admiration.
Kayoko’s shocking full statement, which was published on Instagram, resonated strongly: “I don’t think it’s right to ask my son for money just because he gets paid well”. This honest comment has sparked discussions about family honour, deep-rooted cultural values and the importance of personal dignity in Japanese society, in contrast to the expectations of many other cultures.
Family values
Kayoko Ohtani’s character is a reflection of her own career. Born in Yokohama in 1963, she was a prominent badminton player at the national level, an example of the discipline she would later pass on to Shohei. Shohei’s father, Toru, worked in the automotive industry while playing baseball in Japan’s Industrial League.
This work ethic and humility has been a constant in Kayoko’s life, who did not stop working even after her son became a global phenomenon and professional baseball player with an unprecedented contract.
The Dodgers’ losing streak
The current outlook for the Los Angeles Dodgers is not the best, and despite maintaining a solid record of 56 wins and 37 losses that puts them at the top of the National League West Division, they are going through their worst collapse in the last five years. The team and its fans are worried after five consecutive losses.
Shohei Ohtani himself was the one who referred to the team’s current moment and was quite self-critical in front of the media. “I want to give credit to the opposing team… very good pitching in the last few days. But at the same time, even if we don’t get hits, there are ways to score runs, including myself. We have to do a better job of scoring when there are opportunities to do so,” explained the Japanese.
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