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ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith: Shohei Ohtani Language Skills Hurting MLB Marketing

Monday, Jul 12 2021
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Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels leads the major leagues in homeruns and sports an ERA of 3.49. He is a superstar by any measure and is the most successful two-way player in maybe a century, with some comparing him to Babe Ruth, who was both a top slugger and pitcher. And, he will have a heavy presence at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

OhtaniHowever, one thing he won’t be is the face of Major League Baseball, according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. That’s because while he can speak English (he isn’t fluent), he usually speaks to the media through an interpreter. So reports USA Today.

Ohtani moved to the United States in 2017 after signing a contract with the Angels.

On his show, “First Take,” Smith said “the fact that you got a foreign player that doesn’t speak English, believe it or not, I think contributes to harming the game to some degree, when that’s your box office appeal.” He added, according USA Today, that “I don’t think it helps that the No. 1 face is a dude that needs an interpreter so you can understand what the hell he’s saying, in this country.”

Read the full article from USA Today.

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