Dodgers News: Clayton Kershaw Praises Shohei Ohtani for His Desire to Win
On the morning of the Dodgers’ regular-season finale last week, Ohtani’s laughter cut through the usual pregame chatter in the sleepy clubhouse.
Just minutes later, Ohtani’s focus turned to pregame preparations.
Seated next to first base coach Clayton McCullough, he intently examined an iPad displaying the scouting report for that day’s pitcher, strategizing his approach for attempting to steal a base.
He really wants to win.
“Everybody says he’s kind of a private guy, but within the clubhouse and within our guys, he’s been awesome,” pitcher Clayton Kershaw said. “You can obviously see how much he cares about winning.”
A light-hearted moment and then totally focused. That is what Ohtani’s teammates have learned to appreciate about him in his first season with the team.
“[He can] be goofy and playful and look like he’s really having fun playing the game,” said veteran utilityman Chris Taylor. “But then also at the same time be super focused and locked in.”
“He’s pretty serious,” catcher Austin Barnes echoed. “But he can joke and mess around, too. He makes me laugh.”
“He does a great job of having a childlike joy toward the game,” added reliever Blake Treinen, “but playing it like a grown man.”
“He’s almost like a little kid, trapped in a giant body,” Kiké Hernández explained. “He doesn’t necessarily always show it. But I was surprised by how much personality he has.”
Ohtani has certainly exceeded expectations on the field this season, likely on track to win his third Most Valuable Player award with impressive stats that include 54 home runs, 59 stolen bases, a .310 batting average, and 130 RBIs, all while playing for a Dodgers team that is headed into postseason action on Saturday.
Saturday also marks his postseason debut and the best cure for any type of nerves is some light-hearted laughter.
Ohtani has been hit with one thing after another yet he still rises to the occasion. His energy is contagious and will hopefully fuel the Dodgers to a few postseason victories this year.
“He really, really wants to [win] and gets excited about the possibility of postseason stuff, which is awesome,” Kershaw said. “[We] kind of feed off the energy, for sure, with our club.”
Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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