Shohei Ohtani Takes the Mound and Provides Hobby Firsts
The day baseball fans have waited more than a year for has finally arrived. Following a season and a half as full-time designated hitter, the great Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound today against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
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Though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has already suggested the team's "two-million dollar man" may not stay on the mound long in this first appearance back from a second Tommy John surgery in late 2023, who knows what kind of amazing things might still be possible from the sport's greatest two-way star since Bullet Rogan. An immaculate inning? 100 miles per hour on the radar gun? An unassisted triple play? Okay, that last one is the one thing fans won't see tonight, but the other two? Hey, why not! And of course, there's also a chance that rust, nerves, or bad luck takes over and Shohei gives up three dongs while failing to retire a batter. Again, anything is possible.
The one guarantee is that collectors will get to enjoy a Hobby first tomorrow as barring an asteroid collision with Earth there is a 110% chance that Fanatics parlays Shohei's mound appearance into a June 17 Topps NOW release. On one hand, that's nothing new. Really, it's more of a Hobby scoop when Shohei does something and there isn't a Topps NOW card. But here's where the first comes in...
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While Sho-Time already has thousands of cards as a Los Angeles Dodger and thousands more as a pitcher, his start against San Diego will provide collectors with his first real card as a Dodger pitcher. Now technically, Ohtani has dozens if not hundreds of cards where he is depicted as a Dodger pitcher, but so far all have been Photoshopped or from non-game action. Applying some elementary logic, how could Topps have a photo of something that had never happened? (In truth, Shohei's dog Decoy has thrown more pitches as a Dodger!)
So yes, collectors are guaranteed a Hobby first tomorrow, and knowing Shohei, perhaps they may get more than one. After all, has there even been a Topps NOW card for a pitcher who hits for the cycle? A pitcher who hits two grand slams in the same inning? A pitcher who steals home twice? With Shohei Ohtani, anything is possible, even the impossible.
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.