Shohei Ohtani discusses Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 1st Start at Dodgers Stadium March 31, 2024

The blue responses are our direct translation of Shohei's answers and the

are our commentary on the interpretation of Shohei's responses. Finally, we finish with a grade of the interpreter.

Will: Rainy environment and even with the rain delay he was able to go out and pitch another inning so I thought it was a really good outing.

Reporter 1: Especially for guys that are coming over to Japan, what is the toughest part of those first couple of starts? The toughest adjustment?

Will: 日本から来て最初の登板っていうのは何か凄く調整するという意味で難しいところがあると思うんですけども特に何かありますか?

Shohei: そうですね。僕は結構前なので忘れちゃいましたけどマウンドもボールも違いますし

もちろん対戦相手はちょっと違うんでそこら辺の違いもあるとは思います。ま、私生活が全然違うので、そこらへんの難しさもあるとは思いますけど今日は素晴らしいピッチングだったと思います。

Translation: Yes, I came over quite a while a go but yeah, obviously the mound and ball are different, the opponents are different. The private life is different. So there is a difficult adjustment to be made, but overall I thought he pitched really well.

Will: It’s been a while since I came over but In terms of the changes, differences, the baseball, the mound, the schedule, just being in a totally different like lifestyle environment despite all that he pitched really well.

Reporter #2: How are you feeling about your swing?

Shohei: 見え方自体は悪くないですけどタイミングと距離の問題かなと思います。

[Translation]: I am seeing the ball not badly, but I think it is a timing and distance issue.

Will: I feel like I'm seeing the ball well, but I feel like there's a little bit of something off with my timing and just being able to kind of feel the distance between all and myself.

Reporter #3: How big of a moment was that last at bat?

Will: 最後の打席は結構大きな場面だったのですけど？

Shohei: まずは同点だと思うのでいいですしフォアボールでもいいですしシングルでもいいですし、そういう形でもいいのでまずは。同点にしてまずつなぐことが大事でしたけど最後もまあ自分の中で捕らえたつもりでしたけど、まあここぐらいになっているのでそこらへんま、先は言いていましたけどタイミングと距離の問題でしょうかね。

[Translation]: First and foremost, I wanted to tie the game. Could be a walk, single, any way to tie the game was the most important. At the end, I got contact like that and I kind of felt that’s how it is right now and yeah, like I said before it is a timing and distance issue.

Will: Yeah, ideally obviously tying the game, you know, whether by walk or single, I saw the ball well and I thought I hit it well, but it ended up being a pop fly. So, you know, something to do with my timing and just the distance that I feel between myself and the ball.

Reporter #4: Shohei, what do you think of Yamamoto's first inning 3 strikeouts, 16 pitches? Is that the guy you kind of remember?

Will: 初回三三振16球で凄く印象的な1回だったと思うんですけど、そこらへんどう思いますか？

Shohei: でも素晴らしかったですね。終始素晴らしかったですし、もっと早い段階で。

もちろん援護してあげて、最後もできれば勝って終わってあげたっかったかなと思います。

[Translation]: Yeah it was great. From start to finish, it was great. Wish we could have provided support earlier and wish we could have won and finished the game for him.

Will: Obviously excellent, overall excellent. Just wanted to put up a little bit more support early in the game and wanted to give him a win.