Angels asked noisy fans to quiet down during Ohtani's at-bats so he can focus
Shohei Ohtani is causing quite a stir around the major leagues, but if you could keep it to a dull roar, the Los Angeles Angels phenom would appreciate it.
During Friday night's game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium, a note was sent from the Angels dugout to three college exchange students from Japan asking the raucous fans to quiet down during Ohtani's at-bats. The three women were sitting behind the visiting team's dugout and screaming while the two-way star took the field, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports.
"He heard it, he's thankful for the cheers," said Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. "But at the plate, he likes to focus and block out the noise."
"I was aware of that," Ohtani responded when asked about the note being sent, "but I wasn't the one that asked for that. (The Angels) just did it so everyone could focus at the plate. I was thankful for that."
After coming over from Japan this offseason, the 23-year-old Ohtani has exceeded even the wildest expectations. Over 10 games at the dish, he owns an impressive .367/.424/.767 slash line with three home runs. Meanwhile, on the mound, Ohtani is posting a 2.08 ERA over two starts, striking out 18 batters in 13 innings.
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