"Shohei Ohtani helped me become a better coach" - Marlins manager looks back on coaching Japanese superstar during stint with Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani's move to the Los Angeles Dodgers proved to be an instant hit as the Japanese slugger led the NL West team to its 8th World Series title in October.
Ohtani's first year with the Dodgers has been inspiring for several teammates and it's not limited to just players as former first base coach and new Miami Marlins manager, Clayton McCullough shared the two-way phenom's impact on his coaching.
Shohei Ohtani had his best season between the bases as he put off record-breaking steals during his historic 50-50 season. Talking about his impact on Ohtani's base running on the MLB Network, he said (4:52):
"I got the sense during spring training that Shohei (Ohtani) this past season was only really focusing as an offensive player, you know a more of an interest and a willingness to want to push the limits on the base stealing.
"This guy is just a baseball rat. He enjoyed watching videos and I would just try to do my best to unearth some things for him, bring him to light like a partnership. He put in a lot of lead work and I'll say this guy (Shohei Ohtani) helped me become a far better coach than I helped Shohei become a better player."
McCullough, after spending three seasons with the Dodgers as first base coach, bid farewell to the franchise earlier this month after their World Series win against the New York Yankees.
He was introduced as the Miami Marlins' new manager last week as the team parted ways with Skip Schumaker after a 62-100 season.
Clayton McCullough looks to bring his experience of coaching stars like Shohei Ohtani to Miami
The Miami Marlins struggled under 2023 NL Manager of the Year Skip Schumaker. While Clayton McCullough will be working with a lower payroll in Miami compared to the Dodgers, the former MLB catcher feels player development is the main factor in improving a franchise.
"At my core I have always loved player development," McCullough said. "For me, at the major league level, this is less about inexperienced or younger players or veteran players. I've found that major league players want to be coached. They want to get better. I think that is somewhat independent of experience level."
Managing a team with one of the lowest payrolls could be a tough jump for the former Dodgers first base coach but McCullough is no stranger to managing talents as he managed the Toronto Blue Jays' minor league system for seven seasons before joining the Dodgers.