During a telephone conversation in September, an 80-year-old Japanese friend told me that she was feeling drowsy due to lack of sleep. She’d been rising early, she said, to watch live broadcasts of American baseball.
More specifically, she’d been waking up for Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels who, until the final days of the season, was a contender to lead the American League in home runs. When the 27-year-old Ohtani finished the season in third place with 46 four-baggers, she was clearly disappointed.
“He would have hit more, but the opponents keep walking him,” she complained. “It’s not fair.”
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.