Joe Davis had one of the best seats in the stadium to watch arguably the greatest offensive performance in baseball history.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on Thursday became the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season, going 6-for-6 with three home runs, two doubles, two stolen bases and 10 RBIs.
Davis, the Dodgers' lead play-by-play announcer, was doing the play-by-play commentary, knowing his busy schedule meant he might actually miss his chance to make history. Ohtani entered Thursday's game with 48 home runs and 49 stolen bases.
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches the two-run home run he hit in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins on Thursday at LawnDepot Park in Miami. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
“Selfishly, I was like, 'He's got to do it today,' and after the game I was planning on leaving for the NFL … My only chance is he leaves here with the 48, they throw him under center this weekend and I come back next Tuesday,” Davis said Friday on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
But as soon as Ohtani stole base in the first inning, Davis knew nothing was going to happen Thursday.
But then Ohtani had what Davis described as “the greatest individual performance in baseball history.”
“It's unbelievable. It was the most fun day I've ever had in my career,” he said. “I mean, I talked about it on the air. You could say it was the greatest day in baseball history even coming into the middle of May. But he did it all in one day to get 50/50 and get his first ticket to the postseason.”
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting his 50th home run of the season against the Miami Marlins on Thursday at LawnDepot Park in Miami. (Lorna Wise-Imagn Images)
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani becomes the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season
“He keeps doing things that if you pitched this as a Hollywood script it would be rejected because it's not believable: 'This can't happen. No one would believe this. It's a stupid script. It's too unbelievable.' And he does this so often, I mean, there's no way this could ever happen. He keeps subverting expectations in every way,” Davis said.
The 2024 season did not start well for Ohtani, as he was embroiled in a gambling scandal involving former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. However, Mizuhara admitted to stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani for gambling purposes, although Ohtani denied knowing about any wrongdoing or Mizuhara's illegal activities.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins on Thursday at LawnDepot Park in Miami. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
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But now, Ohtani is just about two weeks away from playing in his first postseason game.
Ohtani, a pitcher, hasn't been on the mound this year while recovering from elbow surgery, but he's still found a way to do things we've never seen before: He's the favorite to win his third MVP award (he won the honor in 2021 and 2023 while in the American League). Clearly, the $700 million contract is worth it.
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