Joe Davis had one of the best seats in the stadium during what was possibly the best offensive performance in baseball history.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on Thursday became the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season with a 6-for-6 performance that included three home runs, two doubles, two stolen bases and 10 RBIs.
Davis, the Dodgers’ lead commentator, was on the phone, but given his busy schedule, he knew there was a good chance he would indeed miss something historic. Ohtani entered Thursday’s game with 48 home runs and 49 stolen bases.
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches his two-run home run during the seventh inning of their game against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Thursday. (Sam Navarro-Images)
“Selfishly, I thought, ‘This is what he has to do today.’ I was going to leave for the NFL after the game… My only chance is that he leaves here at 48, they pitch around him this weekend and I’m back next Tuesday,” Davis told the “Rich Eisen Show” on Friday.
But when Ohtani stole a base in the first inning, Davis knew it was Thursday or nothing.
But then Ohtani experienced what Davis called “perhaps the greatest individual day in the history of baseball.”
“It’s just unreal. That was the funniest day I’ve ever had in my career,” he said. “I mean, that’s it, we talked about it on the show. He could have had that day in the middle of May and it still would have been one that you could say is the best individual day in baseball history. But he managed to go 50/50 and punch his first ticket to the postseason – all in one day.”
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting his 50th home run of the season during Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami. (Rhona Wise-Images)
DODGERS PLAYER SHOHEI OHTANI IS THE FIRST IN MLB HISTORY WITH 50 HOME RUNS AND 50 STEALS IN A SINGLE SEASON
“He continues to do things that, if you pitched them as a Hollywood script, would be rejected because they’re implausible. ‘That’s not going to happen. Nobody will believe it. It’s a stupid script; too implausible.’ And he does that frequently, which means there’s no chance of that happening. He continues to defy the odds in every way,” Davis said.
The 2024 season did not start off particularly well for Ohtani, as he was embroiled in a gambling scandal involving his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. However, Mizuhara admitted to stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani for gambling purposes, while Ohtani denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Mizuhara’s wrongdoing.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani circles the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning of their game against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Thursday. (Sam Navarro-Images)
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But now it is about two weeks until Ohtani will play his first postseason game.
Ohtani, a pitcher, is recovering from elbow surgery and hasn’t been on the mound this year, but he’s still found a way to do things never seen before. He’s the clear favorite to win his third MVP award (he’s already won the honor in 2021 and 2023 in the American League). That $700 million contract is clearly worth it.
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