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    • The Dodgers star is feeling the pressure of October baseball
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    The Dodgers star is feeling the pressure of October baseball

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    NEW YORK – Shohei Ohtani kept his composure Tuesday, occasionally smiling, even joining in a laugh and refusing to let anyone see him sweat.

    If he feels pressure to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series, he doesn't show it publicly.

    The Dodgers did well without his presence, reaching the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets. But at some point the Dodgers will need him to get where they ultimately want to go.

    The Dodgers are full of stars, but it's hard to imagine them attending a World Series parade in downtown Los Angeles if Ohtani continues to struggle. He's just 6-for-27 this postseason and has gone home run-free in his last six games.

    The longer the crisis lasts, the more pressure and control Ohtani will face. And in the postseason, every plate appearance, every hit, every strikeout is magnified for the entire world to see.

    “It's the same game,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said, “(but) there's more pressure.” There's more at stake. Every pitch is a little more important. Every swing is a little more important. Every shot could determine whether or not you play a game tomorrow.

    “The pressure is great.”

    Ohtani has had all eyes on him since he was a prodigy in Japan, became a two-way star in the Japanese professional league and became an international star after arriving in the United States in 2018.

    He wasn't just compared to contemporaries like Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and Ronald Acuna Jr. His opponent was Babe Ruth, the greatest player the game has ever seen, who dominated at the plate and also pitched early in her career.

    The legend of Ohtani almost became a myth when he signed a record $700 million contract to join the Dodgers. It didn't matter that he was recovering from Tommy John surgery and couldn't throw. Instead, he showcased his surreal combination of power and speed by becoming the first player in history to hit at least 50 home runs (54) and steal 50 bases (59) in the same season.

    The baseball world was eagerly awaiting what he would do in his first postseason, and when Ohtani scored in his first postseason game against the San Diego Padres, it was as if a new Mr. October had been born.

    Well, this guy suddenly disappeared.

    Ohtani is 0-for-19 with the bases empty this postseason and is hitting .222 overall. He doesn't have a single stolen base.

    “This is my first experience in the postseason,” Ohtani said, “so I can't really rely on the experiences or my reflection in the past.” But what I do know is that we played against good teams, better teams , with their best pitchers. “So it may not be as easy to get base hits and produce results.”

    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts faced a barrage of questions about the slump. He insists there is no temptation to oust Ohtani from the leadership position in the lineup and believes a single punch can change everything.

    “There were times when he had to reboot,” Roberts said. “Sometimes certain pitchers trigger bad habits. And you have to identify that to then reset it.

    “So I feel like he’s aware of it. “I expect him to reboot today.”

    Ohtani, who is 4 for 20 with no extra-base hits and 12 strikeouts since his three-run home run and single in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres, insists his approach hasn't changed. He doesn't feel like his swing is out of balance. Still, he looked clueless in Game 5 of the NLDS against Yu Darvish, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Left-hander Sean Manaea struck him out twice and kept him hitless in three at-bats Monday.

    Even Roberts was bothered by how much Ohtani chased throws outside the strike zone, especially against Darvish, wondering if perhaps it was a mental hindrance since Darvish was Ohtani's idol as a child.

    “I feel good at the plate,” Ohtani said. “I feel like I should remember the times when I felt good and maybe include that. …. Regardless of how they attack me, my plan is to stick to the same approach as much as possible and not focus too much on how they attack me.”

    Certainly, it's not like Ohtani is the first star to struggle early in his postseason career.

    The bigger the star, the more the opposing staffs will focus on him. They spend so much time carefully pitching to the stars that the heroes are often the players no one pays attention to in the lineup.

    “You see, teams put a lot of value on Shohei,” Dodgers center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said, “just like we do with other teams' biggest guys.” You always hear the pitchers talking, “Hey, you can't get away from him Let so-and-so beat that.” Then the scouting reports at that point are set up to make sure they attack your weakness. These guys meet at midnight and say, 'How do we get this guy out?' “It's not easy when the opposition only focuses on certain people.”

    15-year Dodgers veteran Daniel Hudson, pitching in his seventh postseason series, knows the drill. He attends all pitchers' meetings. He studies the reports.

    The focus is always on the biggest stars. Take them out and take your chances with the others.

    “There are certain people in the lineup you don’t want to hit,” Hudson said. “I'm not saying you should avoid them, but you should approach them more carefully. …

    “In games like this, there are definitely guys in every lineup that you just can’t let beat.”

    Look at the evidence.

    Barry Bonds, the home run king and seven-time MVP, hit .196 with just one home run and six RBI in 116 plate appearances in his first five postseasons.

    Alex Rodriguez, a three-time MVP and 14-time All-Star, hit .230 with six home runs in 178 at-bats in his first seven postseasons.

    Across town in the Bronx, Aaron Judge, who will win his second MVP, is hitting just .204 in 49 postseason games.

    “Maybe teams are a little more cautious about trying to outsmart certain players,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But they are still really good players. You're just a swing away. … There are times when they will struggle, but there are also times when they will be huge.

    “And whether it’s Aaron Judge, Barry Bonds, Ohtani or whatever, there’s a reason why they’re superstars.”

    But being a star comes with a lot of pressure.

    And when you struggle during the most critical time of the year, you feel like you're letting the entire franchise down.

    “I think these guys have certain expectations for everyone and for themselves,” Roberts said. “And you have to be prepared not to bat an eyelid…. knowing that opposing pitchers won’t let you beat them. And you have to be willing to be patient.

    “I played with Barry and obviously he really came to life (in the 2002 World Series) and he was exceptional in that series. When Alex found out, he was obviously great in the postseason.

    “But I do think they may have put a lot of pressure on themselves at the beginning. “People expect them to do what they have done throughout their career, their values, not to do more.”

    We'll soon find out if this is a simple flaw in Ohtani's historic season or if it's cause for concern and wondering if he'll feel the weight of these surreal expectations come October.

    “There's been a lot of eyes and cameras on him,” Lindor said, “and his ability to stay within himself and not get too big and stay the course, that's brilliant.” “He's done a fantastic job, he has Managed to maneuver properly.”

    Slump or not, the Mets won't lull themselves into a false sense of security that it will last, knowing it could end with one swing of the bat.

    “He’s still Shohei Ohtani,” Mendoza said. “He is one of the best hitters in the league. He is an elite hitter.

    “He’s dangerous.”

    Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale

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    Kathleen William
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