Shohei Ohtani is reaching Bruce Lee status

Shohei Ohtani pitches and homers for the L.A. Dodgers win against the Milwaukee Brewers.

As a long-time fan of the San Francisco Giants, it pains me to admit this: Shohei Ohtani is the greatest baseball player of all time. It's just too bad  he plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants' bitter rival, 

The Japanese-born Ohtani's Game 4 performance Oct. 15 was described by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, a Japanese American, as "the greatest postseason performance of all time,"

Shohei Ohtani led the Los Angeles Dodgers to the 2024 National League pennant with a historic two-way performance in the clinching Game 4 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.

In the National League pennant-clinching 5-1 victory, Ohtani performed masterfully both at the plate and on the mound, a performance that had even Giants' fans in awe.

Not only did he throw six scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out 10 batters to earn the win; he also hit three home runs, becoming the first player in major league history to hit three homers and pitch in the same postseason game.

        RELATED: Shohei Ohtani, the new face of baseball

So has Shohei Ohtani reached Bruce Lee status? It's not a crazy idea, but it's a hell of a conversation starter. You have one guy, a martial arts legend, and another, a baseball phenom, both redefining what it means to be a powerful Asian man in America.

The thing is, it's not a one-to-one comparison. It’s about two different moments in time. Bruce Lee had to fight his way in, literally. He had to be explosive, loud, and confident on a very different stage—the movies. He was breaking down doors that were firmly locked. His masculinity was a raw, defiant force, and it was exactly what was needed back then.

Ohtani, on the other hand, comes from a different angle. He's not in-your-face, but his quiet domination is just as powerful. Standing 6’4”, he’s an athletic force of nature, a giant in America's pastime. He doesn’t need to swagger. His talent does all the talking. And for a whole new generation, that quiet excellence is the new loud. It's a different kind of strength, earned in the mainstream without the same kind of defiant attitude Lee had to embody.

Another difference is Lee excelled in the exotic martial arts originating in Asia. He did it so well that he created a new stereotype that if you are Asian you must know martial arts.

Lee challenged the long-held Hollywood stereotype of Asian men as weak, submissive servants or villains by showcasing his incredible martial arts skills and physical prowess.

In contrast, Ohtani is dominating in baseball, America's Pasttime. It's not like he is the first ballplayer of Asian origin to play the sport in the major league but the 6'4" Ohtani's three homers was a historic display of power. One of the home runs he blasted Friday went sailing over the outfield bleachers and out of the park.

On top of that, in the six innings that he pitched, he struck out 10. He faced only 22 batters and held the Brewers scoreless. Dominant. Astounding.

It shows how far we’ve come. From a time when we had to rely on a martial artist to smash stereotypes, to now, where a humble, two-way baseball star can do the same just by being the best at what he does. The foundation Lee laid for Asian masculinity is still there, but Ohtani is building a different kind of structure on top of it. One that is less about being an exception and more about being the standard.

Asians and Asian Americans say that Ohtani may be giving them a new narrative.

Evan-Thomas May and Zeph Wong wrote about their lifelong obsession with baseball–starting with Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners – and how Ohtani has solidified it:

“So when I watch the MLB roll an Ohtani commercial, or hear the taiko drums boom as I load my game, Shotime’s prominence feels like so much more than just marketing. Seeing him is a representation of my own identity, my own community, and all those who have afforded me the life I have today.”

Bruce Lee's status as a stereotype-buster is undeniable. I'm one of those kids who saw Lee as a hero and a beneficiary of his tough-guy image in Hollywood  of taking no guff from anybody with the philosophic lessons of a genuine sifu. 

Ohtani is breaking ground in the statistic-loving world of major league baseball where every at-bat, every pitch, every stolen base is documented and can't be debated. On top of his 50 home runs, 50 steals season last year, his latest performance cements his other-worldly status in sports

Except when the Dodgers play the Giants, I'll admit that every time Ohtani hits a homer, steals a base, or pitches a strike-out, I'm secretly cheering for him.

Ohtani may not be aware of what he's doing for Asian Americans -- at least he has not made any public statements on that subject. For every Asian kid who is overlooked in sports or picked last for a team because we're not supposed to excel in physical endeavors: We're told we're too small, not fast enough, not strong enough, not driven enough; stick to academe, become a lawyer or doctor, we're told. In this era, we are witnessing the  resurgence of white supremacy and the rise in anti-Asian attacks and rhetoric, Ohtani is breaking that stereotype.

And he's not done yet. The 31-year old Ohtani told TIME magazine that his best is “yet to come.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

History-making Kim Ng leaves her GM post with the Miami Marlins

History-making Kim Ng, former Marlins general manager, is looking for a job.

Kim Ng, the first female general manager in MLB history, is not returning to the Miami Marlins after three seasons with the baseball team.

Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman announced Ng's departure Monday. In a statement, Sherman said the Marlins exercised their side of a mutual option on Ng’s contract for the 2024 season but Ng declined her side of the option.

"Last week, Bruce and I discussed his plan to reshape the baseball operations department. In our discussions, it became apparent that we were not completely aligned on what that should look like," Ng told The Athletic on Monday. "I felt it best to step away. I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Marlins family and its fans for my time in South Florida. This year was a great step forward for the organization."

Sources told ESPN that the Marlin’s intention to hire a president of baseball operations over Ng led to her departure.

Ng's trades and late season acquisitions were largely credited for bringing the Marlins to the MLB post-season for the first time in two decades, The Marlins were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies, three games to none in a best of five series.

“We thank Kim for her contributions during her time with our organization and wish her and her family well,” the Marlins wrote in that statement. “We will immediately begin a thorough and extensive search for new leadership as we continue to invest in the Marlins organization on and off the field. We are committed to our fans and the South Florida community and look to build off the momentum of the great progress of this year.”

ESPN reports that other baseball executives around major league baseball were surprised at Ng's departure since she was largely credited through a series of trades and acquisitions, for bringing the Marlins to the playoffs this year.

Ng made history three years ago when she became the first woman -- the first Asian American woman, at that -- to become the GM of any men's professional sports franchise (MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA).

“I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Marlins family and its fans for my time in South Florida,” Ng told The Athletic. “This year was a great step forward for the organization, and I will miss working with Skip and his coaches as well as all of the dedicated staff in baseball operations and throughout the front office. They are a very talented group and I wish them great success in the future.”

Born and raised in New Jersey, Ng's baseball career began as a member of the University of Chicago's softball team. However, her involvement in professional sports began as an intern in 1990 for the White Sox. The White Sox hired her on a full-time basis in '91, and by '95 she was the club's assistant director of baseball operations. 

She remained with Chicago through '96, at which point she started working for the American League as director of waivers and records, approving transactions and helping with the application of rules.

In 1998, she broke another barrier when the Yankees hired her as their assistant general manager. At 29-years old, Ng became the youngest person in that role at the time. She worked for the Yankees through 2001, winning three World Series rings as an executive. The team made the playoffs in all four years that she worked there.

After the 2001 season, Ng joined the Dodgers organization as vice president and assistant general manager. She worked for the team through the '10 season,

In 2011, Ng joined Major League Baseball as senior vice president of baseball operations, reporting to chief baseball officer Joe Torre -- becoming the highest-ranking woman working in the Commissioner's Office. She worked there until the Marlins hired her in 2020 as the team's GM.

Ng did not mention what her future plans will be. Some sports analysts suggest she may have vaulted to the top of the list for front office positions with the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

Broadcaster suspended for mocking Japanese player with racist accent

Jack Morris, left, regrets his attempt at humor by mocking Shohei Ohtani's accent, right.

Jack Morris, the Detroit Tigers television analyst, has been suspended indefinitely by Bally Sports Detroit after he used an exaggerated accent in describing how the Tigers should pitch to the Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani, a Japanese baseball player who is among the American League's most dangerous hitters with 40 home runs so far this season. He is also the only two-way players in all of major league baseball. As one of Angels' starters he has with a record of 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA.

Bally Sports Detroit issue a statement Wednesday saying it was "extremely disappointed" with Morris' remarks and that the former major league pitcher will undergo bias training "to educate him on the impact of his comments and how he can be a positive influence in a diverse community."

"We have a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination and deeply apologize for his insensitive remark," the network continued.

Morris, made his earlier comment in the top of the sixth inning when Ohtani, was on deck next batter up. The Tigers' play-by-play announcer Matt Shepard asked Morris, a former pitcher, "Now what do you do with Shohei Ohtani?"

“Be very, very careful,” Morris replied in an exaggerated Japanese accent.

Later in the broadcast, Morris said that he "did not intend for any offensive thing and I apologize if I did. I certainly respect and have the utmost respect for this guy and don't blame a pitcher for walking him."

The Tigers also issued their own statement saying that they were "deeply disappointed" with Morris' comments.

"We fully support Bally Sports Detroit's decision and their on-going commitment to ensure that all personnel are held to the highest standards of personal conduct," the team said.

Miami Marlins new general manager breaks glass cieling for women

Kim Ng makes history as the Miami Marlins news General lManager.

If the new general manager of the Miami Marlins was a man, the news of the person filling the GM position would only be of interest to sports buffs and Marlins fans.

But the Marlin's new General Manager Kim Ng is making history as the first Asian American woman GM in Major League Baseball.

At 52, Ng has paid her dues with a 30-year career with the MLB, including 21 in the front offices of the White Sox, Yankees and Dodgers.

“All of us at Major League Baseball are thrilled for Kim and the opportunity she has earned with the Marlins," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. 

"Kim’s appointment makes history in all of professional sports and sets a significant example for the millions of women and girls who love baseball and softball," he continued. "The hard work, leadership, and record of achievement throughout her long career in the National Pastime led to this outcome, and we wish Kim all the best as she begins her career with the Marlins.”

"I entered Major League Baseball as an intern and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next General Manager," Ng said in a press release. 

Ng, a native of Indianapolis, is the second Asian American to lead an MLB franchise. Pakistani American Farhan Zaidi became the Los Angeles Dodgers GM in 2014 until 2018 when he became the  president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants.

“This challenge is one I don’t take lightly," Ng said. "When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals. My goal is now to bring championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve.”

TGIF Feature: Pakistani American is Giants' president of baseball operations

SCREEN CAPTURE '/ SF GIANTS

San Francisco Giants President Larry Baer, left, introduces Farhan Zaidi to the press.

L.A. DODGER FANS have one more reason to hate the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants lured away the Dodgers' general manager Farhan Zaidi, the man sports authorities credit for the recent success of the Boys in Blue.

The Giants have hired Major League executive Zaidi as the club's president of baseball operations, President & CEO Larry Baer announced Thursday (Nov. 8).

"We set out to find one of the best minds in baseball and Farhan's many accomplishments and expertise exceeded our expectations," said Baer. "Farhan is widely viewed as one of the top executives in our industry and we are thrilled to have him lead the next chapter of Giants Baseball."

"I am delighted to return to the Bay Area and to join one of the most storied franchises in the game," said Zaidi, who worked with cross-bay rivals Oakland Athletics for 10 years before becoming the Dodgers general manager. 

"I have watched the Giants from afar and I have great respect for the organization's culture and many accomplishments. I am excited about this new opportunity and I'm looking forward to getting right to work."

Farhan Zaidi, right, and his wife, Linda Fang.

Zaidi spent the last four years as the, Dodgers' General Manager after joining the club in November 2014. Under Zaidi's leadership, the Dodgers have won four consecutive division titles while advancing to the National League Championship Series the last three years and the World Series the last two seasons. During that four-year span, the Dodgers have posted the second-best winning percentage in all of baseball (.584, 379-270).

Prior to joining the Dodgers, Zaidi spent 10 seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he started as a baseball operations analyst in 2005 before being promoted to director of baseball operations in 2009, and assistant general manager/director of baseball operations in 2014. 

With the Athletics, his primary responsibilities included evaluating and targeting players in the amateur draft, free agent and trade markets. The Athletics reached the playoffs during Zaidi's final three seasons with the club. (2012-14) 

Zaidi, 41, earned his bachelor of science degree in economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1998 and a Ph.D in economics from the University of California, Berkeley in 2011. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Lucy.

After his parents moved to Canada from their native Pakistan, Zaidi was born in Ontario. However he spent a good portion of his youth living in the Philippines after his father moved to Manila for his job with the Asian Development Bank. 

After High School, he enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he graduated from with a Bachelor of Science degree; in addition to his Bachelor of Science, he also holds a doctorate of philosophy (PhD) in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. 

While at Berkeley, he read Moneyball, the book about the Oakland A's use of sabremetrics to determine the potential of ballplayers. He worked for the A's from 2004 to 2014 in various capacities until he was hired by the Dodgers.

Despite his familiarity with sabremetrics, he is also loves talking and listening to the scouts, who often evaluate players by gut instinct.

Any baseball executive who depends on only one set of beliefs, Zaidi said during his first news conference at AT&T Park on Wednesday, is doomed to "leave a lot of opportunities on the table. I think where we are as an organization right now, we have to cast as wide of a net as possible and not put too many labels on what this process is going to be other than to make smart and sound decisions."

The first MLB game Zaidi attended was Aug. 10, 1987 game between the Giants and the Houston Astros, recalls Zaidi. Candy Maldonado and Will Clark hit back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning against Houston to generate a 6-5 victory.

"To come full circle today was pretty special," Zaidi said.
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The Cubs' Addison Russel might be ineligible for the post-season playoffs.

Addison Russell's baseball season may be over.

THE ALL-STAR shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, Addison Russell, might not be allowed to play in the post-season, which ends Sunday (Sept. 30).

The Filipino American baseball player was placed on leave last week by Major League Baseball following allegations that he was physically and verbally abusive during his marriage.

The Athletic reports that the MLB has “additional credible information” to support allegations by ex-wife Melisa Reidy-Russell that she endured physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband during their marriage, which lasted less than two years.
Russell says the allegations were completely false and that he expects any “full and fair” investigation to exonerate him.

The odds of Russell returning to the Cubs in time for the MLB playoffs appear slim, as every previous case of a player going on administrative leave resulted in a suspension without appeal.

The most notable recent case was then-Blue Jays close Roberto Osuna, who eventually received a 75-game suspension for a breach of the league’s domestic violence policy, reports Yahoo.

According to MLB's domestic violence policy, to punish a player does not require the “beyond a reasonable doubt” burden of proof seen in criminal courts, where domestic violence cases are more difficult to nail down, even in today's #MeToo environment. Instead, MLB only needs enough evidence to conclude that the player likely committed the abuse, with the player having the right to appeal any suspension in front of an independent arbitrator.

The MLB placed Russell on a week of administrative leave on Sept. 21, which would have ended Friday (Sept. 28). During Russell's absence the Cubs have since been losing ground in the last week of regular season games before the playoffs.

The estranged couple began divorce proceedings in 2017 after two years of marriage, in which Reidy alleges she faced constant emotional abuse that turned physical multiple times. She also alleged Russell frequently cheated on her, something she alluded to in an Instagram post celebrating a new beginning.

Russell, 24, made the All-Star team in 2016 when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time since 1908. Russell's glove and bat were key reasons the team were able to break the 110 year World Series drought.

Russell’s status with the Cubs is still in question and it is doubtful he will return to the team if the Cub's plays an extended post-season.
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Asians and Asian American key to Dodgers drive to World Series

DODGERS

Dodgers general manager Frahan Zaidi

WITH THE addition of another ace, the L.A. Dodgers could be baseball's equivalent to the NBA's Warriors when Golden State added superstar Kevin Durant to a starting lineup that already had three all-stars.

The Dodgers were already among the best teams in Major League Baseball this season when they added Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish to their pitching rotation. The trade sent shockwaves throughout baseball. Aside from it being pushed through just prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, the team with the best record in baseball added an ace to a starting rotation that boasted the best ERA.

Adding Davish will give the Dodgers three Asian pitchers as starters, He'll be joing a staff with Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda.

At the center of the dramatic, last-minute deal is Dodgers general manager Frahan Zaidi, a Canadian of Pakistani descent, who grew up in the Philippines and was educated in the United States.

Before Darvish began his first start as a Dodger, he met with Zaidi, the man who engineered the blockbuster deal with the Rangers that brought the electric right-hander to Los Angeles minutes before the non-waiver Trade Deadline.

YOUTUBE

Former Rangers' ace Yu Darvish in Dodger blue.

Darvish and Zaidi went over how the right-handed hurler would attack the Mets' hitters in his first start with his new team. They discussed pitch location and selection, how Darvish could best use his vast arsenal. 

At night's end, against the Mets, Darvish went seven scoreless innings allowing only three hits. His win in his debut puts the boys in blue at 77-32, 45 games over .500 and on their way to breaking their 29-year world series drought.

"He adds another ace, in my opinion," said Mets' star Jay Bruce. "He's going to be right there when the bell rings. He's one of the best pitchers in the game and they just added him. It doesn't make for an easy lineup of pitchers to go through."

"One of the things that's made him so effective is his assortment of pitches," Zaidi said. "The fastball, the ability to reach 95, 96, 97 mph, the ability to kind of take something off. He's got a couple really good off-speed pitches and a couple really good breaking balls.

"Coming to a new league, I think there's going to be an adjustment period on the part of the National League and that will really be an advantage for him," said Zaidi.

Darvish becomes the seventh Japan-born pitcher for the Dodgers, who already have right-handed starter Maeda. The best known of Japanese Dodger was Hideo Nomo, who started the All-Star game in his rookie year.

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