"Watching baseball since 1974. Never seen anyone like him" - 'The West Wing' actor Rob Lowe on rubbing elbows with Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani
Although Rob Lowe is known as an actor who has starred in several beloved productions such as Hotel New Hampshire, Square Dance, The West Wing and Parks and Recreation, the actor grew up dreaming of becoming an MLB great. Recently, Lowe got the chance to do the next-best thing.
Ahead of the Dodgers' game against the Marlins at Dodger Stadium on Monday, Lowe got the opportunity to meet superstar Shohei Ohtani. Evidently moved by the encounter, Lowe posted the picture of them on Instagram. According to Lowe, he has "never seen anyone like (Ohtani)" adding that he has been a baseball fan for 50 years:
"Watching baseball since 1974. Never seen anyone like him"
Born in Virginia, Lowe grew up in Ohio and southern California. While attending Santa Monica High School, Lowe met future acting legend Charlie Sheen, and the two bonded over baseball. In his autobiography I Only Tell My Friends, Lowe claimed of Sheen, "were both nerds [...] he wanted to be a baseball player."
Since inking his record-shattering $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in January, Ohtani has become something of a celebrity himself. Although few expected otherwise, the Japanese phenom's time in LA has been nothing short of magnificent.
In 37 games this season, Shohei Ohtani leads the league in almost every single hitting statistic. His 32 runs, 54 hits and 14 doubles put him atop the leaderboard in each category, as do his 11 home runs and .365 batting average. After his meeting with Rob Lowe, Ohtani walked twice and scored a run in his team's 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins.
"Shohei Ohtani's current full-season pace... .370/.434/.705, 136 R, 61 2B, 48 HR, 118 RBI, 40 SB, 451 TB. 400 TB hasn't happened since 2001 450 TB has happened 2x ever. Babe Ruth in 1921 & Rogers Hornsby in 1922. #Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani is having more fun than ever as a Dodger
The winner of the 2023 AL MVP Award with the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani's short time with his new team has been eventful. In addition to rubbing shoulders with celebrities like Rob Lowe, Ohtani is bonding in the clubhouse. Recently, Ohtani played a gag on manager Dave Roberts by gifting the skipper a toy Porsche, later telling the media:
“He said he wanted a car,. I’m glad he’s happy. He got a car.”
With another decade to go as a Dodger, there is no telling what new heights the superstar has yet to reach.