Japanese baseball player Ohtani Shohei looks back on his debut year with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Q: You took over the leadoff spot with a guy like Mookie Betts on your team, and you’ve also got Freddie Freeman. What’s it like now that you’ve won playing with guys at that caliber? What have you learned from them?

A: Being able to play with all these wonderful players really allowed me to elevate my game, not just technically but also professionally. Of course it wasn’t just Freddie and Mookie – all of our lineup, one through nine, was very professional.

Q: I know that in Japan, teams do the beer celebrations a little bit differently. Do you prefer the way they do in Japan or the way they do it here?

A: I do feel like the celebration I’ve had in the past in Japan, in the WBC, was a little bit toned down. The celebration here was more dynamic. People celebrate in different ways. But I was really happy to end the season like this.

Q: Can you describe the emotions today as your team fell behind five nothing, and then you were gradually able to come back?

A: The inning in which we scored five runs was really important. I think there were some errors on the part of our opponent, but because everyone tried so hard we were able to seize those chances.onwards.

Q: There must have been times when focusing 100% was difficult, with your shoulder injury and so forth. Despite all that, what were your feelings on the field?

A: Even after I got injured in the post season, I wanted to be ready to play. But most importantly, it was a big honor to have people saying they needed me and wanted me to play. I think that’s how I was able to keep fighting so hard this year.

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