Hmmm...maybe the Ohtani-Babe Ruth comparisons aren't all that extravagant, after all...

[First Speaker]

...he's winning games as a pitcher, *and* on pace to hit 60 home runs. If you're a baseball fan, enjoy all this, because you'll never see anything like it again...

[dawg day]

1. He better watch out... remember what happened to Babe Ruth.

He made himself so useful as a batter, they stopped letting him pitch.

Of cocurse, back then they didn't have the designated hitter position that lets Ohtani bat almost every game.
Such a reversal. Usually the DH bats for the pitcher, and now the pitcher is batting DH. (Well, he's still batting for another pitcher....)

[malthaussen]

2. So, how does that work under the rules?

If he starts a game as pitcher and gets bombed and yanked, can he still stay in as the DH?
He's sure hitting better than Babe Ruth when the latter was still pitching. But he is nowhere near the quality pitcher Babe was.

By the way, note that he is leading the league in home runs and triples. And they even let him steal -- he has 12 stolen bases already. 12 SB and 3 CS, 4 triples... that kid must be fast.
And he only makes 3 mil a year? The Angels have a bargain, there.

-- Mal

[jmowreader]

3. This Wiki page is COMPLETELY out of date

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_all-time_leaders_in_home_runs_by_pitchers

Ohtani isn’t on it at all. Says MadBum is the career leader among active pitchers with 19 HR as of closing day 2020...and on that day, Ohtani had 47.

According to this page, the career leader in HR by pitchers all-time is Wes Ferrell with 37 as a pitcher and 1 as a pinch hitter. By the end of next week, Ohtani will be past that mark in this season alone.

The Angels want Ohtani to serve as both DH and P in the All-Star Game. The fans would love it...especially since he’s probably going to win the Home Run Derby. I think they should do it.

Another thing that amazes me about Ohtani is just how big he is. The average Japanese man is 5’6” and weighs 138 pounds. Shohei Ohtani is 6’4” and weighs 203 pounds. I wonder how he’d do as a quarterback - he’s taller than Russell Wilson and weighs about as much.