Fans Cheer Shohei Ohtani During Slump in Dodgers Game
Listen to the story
Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese baseball star, is currently going through a difficult period in his batting.
Fans call him the '382 oku yen man' because of his extremely large contract, worth about 382 hundred million yen.
Despite his recent slump, something touching happened during a game against the Dodgers.
Fans gave Ohtani loud cheers and warm applause, even though he was not performing well.
Some fans even stood up from their seats to show extra support.
It was described as a warm and emotional scene at the stadium.
Many fans clearly still believe in Ohtani, even during a rough patch in his career.
Meanwhile, another story is following Ohtani's path toward hitting 40 home runs for a fourth straight year.
If he reaches this milestone, he will become only the 15th player in baseball history to do so.
This achievement would place him among an elite group of hitters.
There is also discussion comparing Ohtani to Babe Ruth, one of the most legendary players in baseball history.
This comparison uses a special measuring point: performance three years after joining a new team.
By that measure, some experts believe Ohtani's numbers stand close to Ruth's own achievements.
Together, these stories highlight both Ohtani's struggles and his historic importance in the sport.
Vocabulary8 words
- baseball
- a sport where players hit a ball with a bat
- contract
- an agreement about how much money a player earns
- slump
- a period when a player performs badly
- cheers
- loud happy shouts of support
- applause
- clapping to show approval
- stadium
- a large place where sports games happen
- home runs
- a hit that scores a point without stopping running
- milestone
- an important point or achievement
Quiz
Answer key
1. Because of his large contract 2. Fans cheered and applauded Ohtani despite his slump 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese baseball star, is currently going through a difficult period in his _____.
Fans call him the '382 oku yen man' because of his extremely large _____.
Despite his recent _____, something touching happened during a game against the Dodgers.
Fans gave Ohtani loud _____ and warm _____, even though he was not performing well.
Some fans even stood up from their seats to show extra support.
It was described as a warm and emotional scene at the _____.
Meanwhile, another story is following Ohtani's path toward hitting 40 _____ for a fourth straight year.
If he reaches this _____, he will become only the 15th player in baseball history to do so.
There is also discussion comparing Ohtani to Babe Ruth, one of the most legendary players in baseball history.