"He’s just a quality human being” - Torey Lovullo on his uplifting interaction with Shohei Ohtani during All-Star week
Torey Lovullo lavished words of praise on Shohei Ohtani, saying that the Japanese superstar has an excellent personality in addition to being an outstanding baseball player. The Arizona Diamondbacks manager was enamored by the aura of Ohtani, noting that it stems from the calm and humble manner in which he carries himself.
On Tuesday night, Lovullo was the manager for the National League team at the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. Lovullo got the opportunity to make his All-Star debut after leading the Diamondbacks to the NL pennant last year, before going down to the Texas Rangers in the World Series.
The following day, Lovullo, speaking on "The Dan Patrick Show", shared his experience managing in the All-Star Game. The eminent broadcaster also asked him about his interactions with Ohtani during the Midsummer Classic.
"The presence is pretty powerful. You sit next to him, and he's just like a normal kid. It's amazing," Lovullo said. "I've watched this guy across the field; he's circling the bases after hitting home runs against the Diamondbacks. Last night, it was great to high-five me. He came back to our dugout. We were on the same team.
"I had a couple of moments with him. We were laughing and giggling. Just carry on having the same type of conversations with him that you and I are having right now. He's just a high-quality human being who also happens to be a great player. That's the best thing about being part of the All-Star Game. You are in this room where the best players are in the same space at one time," he added.
Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer to give his team an early lead in the All-Star Game, but Lovullo still ended up on the losing end in his All-Star Game debut. The AL All-Stars fought back and eventually beat the NL All-Stars 5-3 on the night at Globe Life Field.
It's hard to believe he's just 22 years old: Torey Lovullo on Paule Skenes
Paul Skenes was the starting pitcher for the NL All-Stars in the Midsummer Classic. Skenes was also on "The Dan Patrick Show" earlier this week. When asked about what he thought of the Pittsburgh Pirates ace, Lovullo said he was highly impressed by the rookie after seeing him in person.
"You always wonder what's inside the hood. I finally got the chance to meet him [Paul Skenes], and he's as solid a human being as he is portrayed. He is very humble and very proud of his craft, and he just wants to go out there and be great. It's hard to believe that he's just 22 years old," Lovullo said.
"He's a big horse. When you stand next to him, he is almost seven feet tall. He's got some force on the baseball, no doubt about it. But I think his body can withstand that. He's a generational guy because of his demeanor and the maturity that we just talked about. But, I think, his stuff is going to be pretty special. If he can stay healthy, he's going to have a great career," he added.
Skenes became the only rookie to start an MLB All-Star game, after just 11 games in the majors.