When Shohei Ohtani's impact on MLB was dissected in wake of Stephen A. Smith's skepticism
In July 2021, sports journalist Stephen A. Smith faced major backlash after slamming Shohei Ohtani for his lack of English fluency on the morning talk show "First Take."
Smith argued that as Japanese-born Los Angeles Angels star Ohtani requires an interpreter to communicate during interviews and press conferences, he might face challenges in effectively representing the sport as its prominent figure.
After finding himself embroiled in a social media controversy, Smith took to Twitter to respond to the growing outrage surrounding his comments, but his response only served to further ignite the anger of his critics.
Instead of addressing the concerns raised, Smith seemingly failed to comprehend the gravity of the situation, leading many to accuse him of being out of touch with reality.
"I'm talking about the marketability the promotion of the sport ... 28 percent of the players in Major League Baseball are foreign players. A lot of them need translators.
"If you are ab sport trying to ingratiate yourself with the American public the way Major League Baseball is, because of the problems that you've been having to deal with in terms of improving the attractiveness of the sport, it helps that if you spoke the English language," explained Stephen A. Smith.
Constancio Arnaldo Jr., an assistant professor of Asian and Asian American studies at the University of Nevada, dissected Ohtani's baseball skillset and how it goes beyond his language barrier.
"It's about masculinity. ... Asian and Asian Americans are always seen as not masculine enough. Then you have a game that's seen as part of the embodiment of this white masculinity," Arnaldo said.
"Ohtani is "also challenging what is acceptable in terms of athletic performance, baseball skill, especially, that are speaking back to these longer legacies of baseball as being this American white pastime."
In the contemporary era, Shohei Ohtani has drawn comparisons with one of the game's all-time legends, Babe Ruth. Ohtani's remarkable abilities as both pitcher and hitter have earned him the admiration of the MLB world, with many hailing him as a once-in-a-generation talent.
While English is the primary language spoken in the United States, it's worth recognizing that not all players in the MLB are native English speakers. The league consists of players from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, contributing to its global appeal.
Stephen A. Smith issued apology to Shohei Ohtani on Twitter
Once Stephen A. Smith realized his mistake, he was quick to post a written statement issuing an apology. It read:
"Let me apologize right now. As I'm watching things unfold, let me say that I never intended to offend ANY COMMUNITY, particularly the Asian community — and especially SHOHEI Ohtani, himself.
"I screwed up. In this day and age, with all the violence being perpetrated against the Asian Community, my comments — albeit unintentional — were clearly insensitive and regrettable."
I'm sincerely sorry. https://t.co/pANjWTrD4X
In January 2022, Shohei Ohtani finally responded to Smith's criticism saying that he believes his play on the field could be a means of communicating with MLB fans.