Shohei Ohtani and the power of stand
Even if you aren’t a baseball fan, chances are you’ve heard of MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, nicknamed “The Unicorn,” because of his status as a two-way player that is dominant as both a pitcher and hitter. In a 2021 profile on Ohtani in The Ringer, author Ben Lindbergh underscored just what an incredible feat that is:
“No other player has the raw tools to throw as hard as Ohtani does, hit the ball as hard as he does, and run as fast as he does. But not many more have the devotion and discipline needed to make it through both batting practices and bullpen sessions, study two sets of scouting reports, and maintain the training programs, recovery regimens, and nutrition plans that make his two-way high-wire act possible.”
Not only can Ohtani do both but he’s among the very best. In 2021, he became the first player in history to make the MLB’s All Star Game as both a pitcher and hitter and was unanimously voted the American League MVP.
Lindbergh provides fascinating background on how Shohei’s groundbreaking career came to be. Back in 2012, Ohtani announced his decision to become the first Japanese player to sign with an MLB organization out of high school and therefore skip playing in the Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB (Japan’s Major League). Ohtani’s announcement was a big deal. Traditionally, the NPB had been the starting point for other professional Japanese players hoping to make it to the MLB. His decision led all but one NPB team to stop recruiting him, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (“The Fighters”).
Ultimately, The Fighters sold Ohtani on the vision of becoming the only two-way player in the NPB and stayed true to that promise; a decision that most members of the baseball establishment thought would be career ruining. That decision says a lot about The Fighters willingness to take a risk on a player committed to playing elsewhere, but also speaks to Ohtani’s commitment to his dream and carving out a unique path. He not only turned down millions of dollars but also the opportunity to play at the highest level in baseball right out of high school. I think you’d be hard pressed to find another player that would resist offers from the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers to prove what seemed like an unlikely path.
It was the opportunity provided by The Fighters that enabled Ohtani to show that a two-way path was possible and gave him the leverage to sign with the Angels six years later (*with their commitment to allowing him to continue on the two-way path). Needless to say, it has worked out pretty well.
So often in life we declare what is possible based on what we think is predictable, likely, or well within the realm of feasibility. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that but I’m present to the fact that it’s a way of speaking about possibility that actually removes a lot of it.
In “The Last Word on Power,” author Tracy Gross describes an entirely different paradigm - taking a stand. She declares:
“Taking a stand is a declaration of possibility that allows something to move forward from ‘existing as a possibility only because you said so’ to ‘existing as a reality where it is so in the world.’”
What exactly does that mean? In Gross’ definition, a stand has 5 critical elements:
You trust that you are capable, curious, and open enough to achieve your goals before you know how you will accomplish them
You don’t need explanations or proof. It simply is your stand because that’s the commitment you’ve made
You don’t need to justify its purpose
There is no right way or formula for how to do it. You must find your own unique way
You are committed to taking action regardless of the circumstances
Sounds scary as hell, right? That’s the point. When we take a stand we remain committed regardless of the surprises and uncertainty thrown our way. There is no guaranteed success but we take the stand and commit to taking action anyway. If you need any evidence of the power of stand, look no further than Ohtani and The Fighters. They made history by taking a stand for the future that many others dared not even imagine.
What’s the possibility that you want to create that seems as unthinkable as Ohtani’s dream once did? Are you willing to take a stand?
