It is finally getting closer… What is it? It is Shohei Otani’s dream “50-50”…. It is finally getting closer, isn’t it?

In recent news, Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani played in the game against the Marlins on the 18th (Japan time 19th) as the designated hitter. In his first at-bat, he hit a ball to left field and immediately stole his 49th base, becoming the first player in history to hit 48 home runs and steal 49 bases (48-49). He is on his way to his dream “50-50” again.

He hit a ball to left in the first at bat and immediately stole second base. His 49th stolen base is the second most in history among players from Japan, tied with Dave Roberts (Dodgers manager in 2006). He also reached third base due to a catcher’s error, but with one out, he tried to reach home on an infield single by outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, but was caught between the two and touched out.

Since the July 23 (July 24) game against the Giants, Ohtani has been successful 26 consecutive times, getting out only four times, and his success rate of stealing bases is said to be an astonishing 92.5%.

We tend to be distracted by home runs, but stealing a base, even from an amateur’s point of view, is very difficult. It seems that stealing a pitcher’s form, reading the opposing battery’s pitch distribution, making a great start, and having the skill to slide in exquisitely are necessary, but what worries me most is the risk of injury. When the umpire gives the “safe” sign after a successful slide, I always feel a little nervous and mixed up between “glad it was safe” and “glad there were no injuries.

More recently, I have heard of titles such as 50-50, but in fact, it seems that home runs and stolen bases have been declining in the majors in recent years. Yes, I know, I didn’t really have an image of major league home run hitters stealing bases in the first place…. That is also true, it seems that no player stole more than 50 bases in the five years from 2006 to 2010. However, with the introduction of the new “base expansion” rule in 2022, the situation seems to have changed. After the new rule, a whopping three players have stolen 50 or more bases.

With this change, the distance from home base to first base and from home base to third base decreased by 3 inches (about 7.6 cm), and the distance from first base to second base and from second base to third base decreased by 4.5 inches (about 11.4 cm). Decrease. While the larger bases are expected to have a positive impact on player safety, the MBL reports that the visual impact is greater in actual comparison and has also led to fewer injuries near the bases.

The new rule has allowed Ohtani to follow the Reds’ Ellie Delacruz this year, and although we amateur spectators have tended to focus more on home runs, now that we know this, stolen bases have become a moment that cannot be missed with as much enthusiasm as a home run.

The moment seems to be approaching anyhow, so we definitely cannot miss every single game from here on out….

Have a good day.