Shohei Ohtani is a unicorn.
No one plays the game of baseball in the modern age like the four-time MLB MVP and back-to-back World Series champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
And that is starting to upset people, particularly if they’re in the opposing dugout.
During the Dodgers’ most recent series up north against World Series rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays, there was a ruckus over Ohtani.
No, not because of the home run he hit in the opening game of the series or even the six innings of unearned run pitching he did to end the series.
Those are normal now for Ohtani.
Instead, it was the time in between him hitting and then going on the mound in the final game of the series that had gotten opposing managers and teams upset.
In the series finale against Toronto, Blue Jays leadoff man George Springer didn’t seem too pleased at Ohtani’s transition time from hitter to pitcher in the bottom of the first inning.
Ohtani was stranded on base in the top of the first, and then had to run into the dugout and then back to the mound to begin his primary job of the day as L.A.’s starting pitcher.
While it frustrated opposing hitters who don’t like the extra time Ohtani gets to warm up, the MLB rulebook says the Dodgers star is doing nothing wrong.
“For between-innings breaks, the timer begins when the final out of the inning is recorded, with several exceptions,” says the MLB. “If the pitcher is on base, on deck or at bat when the inning ends, the timer begins when the pitcher leaves the dugout for the mound.“
And because the designated hitter became universal across the National and American Leagues, only Ohtani is affected by this rule.
So, though opposing fans and even players will get upset for what seems like a bending of the rules by Ohtani, they’ll need to start hitting off him if they want to get back at the Japanese superstar.