I wonder how different the Shohei Ohtani gambling/theft scandal would be if he was still on the Angels. On the Angels, Shohei Ohtani was like a musician. Different people liked him different amounts, but there wasn’t really any rooting against him. The Angels were never a threat.
On the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani is a threat. On the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani might take over the world. Did Ohtani gamble? I have no idea. Does it matter if he did? Unless he was trying to alter the outcome of games, probably not. But having watched Ohtani at Wrigley Field on Friday, let me say this:
It is so fun to boo this guy.
This isn’t a redeemable trait of mine, but I think a lot of people share it: When someone is enjoying something, I have an instinct to ruin it. I think this is what leads children to stomp each other’s sandcastles. Most of the time, I temper this impulse. Most of the time, I say to myself, “Whoa, man. That’s not cool. They are just enjoying themselves!” When I am not justified in intruding on others’ happiness, I can almost always stop myself from intruding. But when there’s justification…
There were a lot of people at Wrigley Field on Friday specifically to see Shohei Ohtani. Combined with the large Los Angeles fanbase and the fact local kid Bobby Miller was pitching (shoutout McHenry County), this led to a pretty pro-Dodgers crowd. When Ohtani came to the plate, there was the start of a cheer.
Then, we booed.
And boy, did it feel good.
Why is booing such a good release? Why does it feel so fun? I think the difference, for me, is that when I really do hate an athlete or a coach, I yell unspeakable things at them. Booing them is different. Booing is sillier. Booing is sandcastle-stomping. It doesn’t really hurt the person being booed, but it exerts some power over them. Oh, you’re going to hit a home run against my favorite team? Well, then I’m going to boo you while you’re doing it. Don’t build your sandcastle on my stretch of the beach, punk.
Thankfully, the Cubs won. When you boo someone and they beat you, a shame wells up. You’ve admitted you care enough to be phased by this person. Then, they’ve beaten you? Egad! But since the Cubs won, I don’t really care that Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a pair of extra base hits. We beat that lying cheat!
It is so fun to boo Shohei Ohtani.
