Well, let’s talk about that Ohtani fella, you know, the baseball player everyone’s yappin’ about. Does Shohei Ohtani speak English? That’s what folks wanna know, ain’t it? I heard some sayin’ he does, some sayin’ he don’t. It’s all a bit of a muddle if you ask me.
So, can he or can’t he? From what I gather, it seems like he can speak some English, yeah. He ain’t dumb, that’s for sure. Heard tell he talked about them shoes of his, some kinda “New Balance” things, before a game over in Seoul. Seoul, that’s in Korea, a long ways away, I tell ya. So, he must know a bit of English to do that, right?
But then, most times you see him on that TV thingy, he’s got that fella next to him, the interpreter. That fella, he does all the talkin’ for Ohtani. Now, why would he need that if he spoke English real good? Makes ya think, don’t it?
- Maybe he understands more than he can speak. Like my grandson, he knows what I’m sayin’ but can’t always talk back proper.
- Or maybe he just feels more comfortable talkin’ in his own language. Nothin’ wrong with that, I say. I wouldn’t wanna be jabberin’ in some foreign tongue all day neither.
- And then there’s all that baseball talk. Maybe English baseball talk is different, ya know, with all them fancy words they use. He needs someone to help him with that stuff, maybe.
They say this interpreter fella, he’s been with Ohtani for a long time. Gets paid a pretty penny too, from what I hear. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, can ya believe it? That’s more money than I’ve seen in my whole life! Anyways, this interpreter, he helps Ohtani talk to the other players, and to them reporters with their cameras and microphones. Seems like a lot of them baseball fellas need help with English. I heard it’s almost a third of ’em, imagine that!
English in Baseball, it’s a Big Deal. Seems like knowing English is important in that baseball world. They gotta understand what the coach is yellin’ about, gotta talk to their teammates, gotta answer all them questions from the reporters. It’s a whole lot of English, I tell ya.
So, Ohtani, he can speak a bit, like I said. He talks to his teammates sometimes, I heard. But mostly, he sticks to his own language. And that’s fine, I guess. He’s a good player, that Ohtani. Hits them balls a mile, and throws like a rocket. That’s what really matters, ain’t it? Not how much English he speaks.
This interpreter, he went to school out in California, they say. Grew up there too, so he knows his English real good. He’s important to Ohtani, helps him fit in and do his job. It’s like havin’ a good pair of workin’ gloves, ya need ‘em to get the job done right.
Now, I saw somethin’ on TV the other day. Ohtani, he was talkin’ English! At some parade or somethin’, after they won that big game, the World Series. He spoke English there, without that interpreter fella. So, he definitely can speak it, see? Just chooses not to most of the time, I reckon.
Maybe he’s shy, maybe he’s just practical. Why struggle with a language when you got someone who can do the talkin’ for ya? That’s what I’d do, if I was him. I got enough trouble just rememberin’ where I put my glasses, let alone tryin’ to speak some foreign tongue.
So, to answer your question, does Shohei Ohtani speak English? Yep, he does. Not all the time, maybe not perfect, but he can speak it. He just prefers to do things his own way, with that interpreter fella helpin’ him out. And that’s just fine, long as he keeps hittin’ them home runs and makin’ us proud. That’s all that matters in the end, ain’t it? The playin’, not the talkin’.
It’s about the baseball, not the English. That’s what I always say. He’s there to play ball, not to win some kinda English speakin’ contest. And he’s darn good at it. So let him do his thing, I say. Let him talk, or not talk, however he pleases. As long as he keeps hittin’ them balls out of the park, I’m happy.
