Sports
Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ superstar and reigning National League MVP, added another memorable moment to his illustrious career – but this time, it wasn’t with a bat or glove.
During the Dodgers‘ commanding 18-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday, Ohtani was caught on camera dozing off while standing in the dugout. The brief nap, which quickly went viral, showcased a lighter side of the usually intense athlete.
The Dodgers’ offense was firing on all cylinders, amassing 21 hits and five home runs in the lopsided win. Max Muncy led the charge with two three-run homers and seven RBIs, while Aaron Judge provided the Yankees’ only offense with two solo shots. The game was effectively decided early, allowing for some levity in the later innings.
Balancing fatherhood and baseball
Yankees vs. Dodgers Highlights
Ohtani’s mid-game nap is understandable given his recent life changes. Last month, he and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, announced the birth of their daughter.
The demands of fatherhood, combined with the rigors of a professional baseball season, have undoubtedly impacted his rest. In a humorous twist, Ohtani startled himself awake, reminiscent of a new parent adjusting to a baby’s sleep schedule.
Despite the sleep deprivation, Ohtani continues to excel on the field. He currently leads the league with 22 home runs, including five in his last seven games. His performance remains a cornerstone for the Dodgers as they navigate a season filled with high expectations.
Fans and teammates alike have embraced the viral moment, with social media buzzing over the relatable scene. As one fan quipped, “Dad Ohtani put the Yankees to sleep, so he took a nap too.”
In the end, Ohtani‘s brief slumber serves as a charming reminder of the human side of professional athletes. Balancing personal life and professional commitments is no easy feat, but Ohtani continues to handle both with grace – and a touch of humor.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Inside Mamelodi Sundowns: The journey to the Club World Cup
The Athletic spent four days with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns as the team prepared for the Club World Cup in the United States.You can read part one here, with a final dispatch from Pretoria and a special podcast to come.When Mamelodi Sundowns clinched their latest South African Premiership title in May with a 3-0 victory over Chippa United, the team’s Portuguese head coach Miguel Cardoso was presented with a cigar in the dressing room. Though he is not a smoker, he marked the occasion by puffing away, as the players danced around him.AdvertisementThe celebrations continued into the early hours of the next morning. Cardoso could hear the players from his hotel room. Yet he also knew that bonuses were to be determined by the outcome of the final and looming league fixture with Magesi. This led to him calculating there […]
Luciano Spalletti’s abrupt sacking leaves Italy with much reflecting to do
It was professional and dignified, absurd and unprecedented.Luciano Spalletti appeared for his pre-match press conference on Sunday afternoon. He sat down with the forlorn hope of at least taking a couple of questions on Italy’s opponents Moldova and the line-up he had in mind for the game in Reggio Emilia. One did come — about the compatibility of strikers Mateo Retegui and Lorenzo Lucca, and whether Bologna winger Riccardo Orsolini has it in him to play false nine. But it was tokenistic. Spalletti knew the only line of inquiry regarded his future.AdvertisementAn hour before he was due in the auditorium at Italy’s training base in Coverciano, a newsflash made it clear this would be a press conference like no other. Sky Italia’s yellow ticker reported the breaking news of Spalletti’s intention to resign after the Moldova game. It was true […]
The history of the sash, a football shirt status symbol
This article is part of our Kitted Out series, an exploration of the impact of soccer kits on culture and fashion.Whether it is the red stripe of Peru, River Plate or Rayo Vallecano, the diagonal sash — in all its forms and colourways — is fundamental to football kit heritage. But where does it come from and who started the trend? That depends on who you ask.In their early days, football shirts were completely plain, so to distinguish two opposing teams, it is believed that a sash band was first introduced as a tool for players to differentiate between team-mates and the opposition.Advertisement“It’s plausible that early versions were not part of the shirt itself, but rather separate sashes worn over the kit and tucked into the shorts,” Andrew Groves, professor of fashion design at the University of Westminster, says. “This would […]
US Women won $1M tonight. Huh? Plus: Boston Legacy gets a much-needed win
Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic’s weekly women’s soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox.“Hi guys, I’m back. Did you miss me? Because I missed you.” — Kim Kardashian, but also NWSL after the international window.Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan, Tamerra Griffin and Jeff Rueter — welcome to Full Time!Band’s Back TogetherUS Women win $1 millionLast week, Carli Lloyd scored a stunning game-winning goal and Hope Solo made a diving save. Tonight, the US Women captured another title. Wait, what?Don’t turn that dial! You are still in the right newsletter. The Soccer Tournament (TST), a seven-a-side, winner-takes-all competition, has become something of a post-retirement playground for the U.S. women’s national team — with a $1 million prize on the line. The tournament originally started as a men’s-only competition in Cary, N.C. But when US […]
Connections: Sports Edition hints for June 10, 2025, puzzle No. 260
NFL minicamp storylines: Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, contract holdouts and QB battles The Browns, Saints and Colts are among those with QB races to watch, and another chance for Travis Hunter acrobatics is never a bad thing.
Stanley Cup Final: Panthers, Oilers break out into major 3rd period brawl amid Florida’s 6-1 win
The Florida Panthers took a 2-1 series lead with a 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night.However, the blowout result came with some additional entertainment halfway through the third period when a major brawl broke out between the two teams involving all 10 players on the ice.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe melee appeared to begin with 9:33 remaining in the third period when Oilers center Trent Frederic cross-checked the Panthers' Sam Bennett, breaking his stick in the process. Florida's A.J. Greer and Edmonton's Mattias Ekholm then mixed it up, followed by the Panthers' Nate Schmidt and Oilers' Connor Brown sparring. Defensemen Dmitry Kulikov and left winger Viktor Arvidsson also joined in fisticuffs.However, the true standouts of this battle were Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. Neither of these combatants went to […]
Related
Inside Mamelodi Sundowns: The journey to the Club World Cup
The Athletic spent four days with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns as the team prepared for the Club World Cup in the United States.You can read part one here, with a final dispatch from Pretoria and a special podcast to come.When Mamelodi Sundowns clinched their latest South African Premiership title in May with a 3-0 victory over Chippa United, the team’s Portuguese head coach Miguel Cardoso was presented with a cigar in the dressing room. Though he is not a smoker, he marked the occasion by puffing away, as the players danced around him.AdvertisementThe celebrations continued into the early hours of the next morning. Cardoso could hear the players from his hotel room. Yet he also knew that bonuses were to be determined by the outcome of the final and looming league fixture with Magesi. This led to him calculating there […]
Luciano Spalletti’s abrupt sacking leaves Italy with much reflecting to do
It was professional and dignified, absurd and unprecedented.Luciano Spalletti appeared for his pre-match press conference on Sunday afternoon. He sat down with the forlorn hope of at least taking a couple of questions on Italy’s opponents Moldova and the line-up he had in mind for the game in Reggio Emilia. One did come — about the compatibility of strikers Mateo Retegui and Lorenzo Lucca, and whether Bologna winger Riccardo Orsolini has it in him to play false nine. But it was tokenistic. Spalletti knew the only line of inquiry regarded his future.AdvertisementAn hour before he was due in the auditorium at Italy’s training base in Coverciano, a newsflash made it clear this would be a press conference like no other. Sky Italia’s yellow ticker reported the breaking news of Spalletti’s intention to resign after the Moldova game. It was true […]
The history of the sash, a football shirt status symbol
This article is part of our Kitted Out series, an exploration of the impact of soccer kits on culture and fashion.Whether it is the red stripe of Peru, River Plate or Rayo Vallecano, the diagonal sash — in all its forms and colourways — is fundamental to football kit heritage. But where does it come from and who started the trend? That depends on who you ask.In their early days, football shirts were completely plain, so to distinguish two opposing teams, it is believed that a sash band was first introduced as a tool for players to differentiate between team-mates and the opposition.Advertisement“It’s plausible that early versions were not part of the shirt itself, but rather separate sashes worn over the kit and tucked into the shorts,” Andrew Groves, professor of fashion design at the University of Westminster, says. “This would […]
US Women won $1M tonight. Huh? Plus: Boston Legacy gets a much-needed win
Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic’s weekly women’s soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox.“Hi guys, I’m back. Did you miss me? Because I missed you.” — Kim Kardashian, but also NWSL after the international window.Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan, Tamerra Griffin and Jeff Rueter — welcome to Full Time!Band’s Back TogetherUS Women win $1 millionLast week, Carli Lloyd scored a stunning game-winning goal and Hope Solo made a diving save. Tonight, the US Women captured another title. Wait, what?Don’t turn that dial! You are still in the right newsletter. The Soccer Tournament (TST), a seven-a-side, winner-takes-all competition, has become something of a post-retirement playground for the U.S. women’s national team — with a $1 million prize on the line. The tournament originally started as a men’s-only competition in Cary, N.C. But when US […]
Connections: Sports Edition hints for June 10, 2025, puzzle No. 260
NFL minicamp storylines: Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, contract holdouts and QB battles The Browns, Saints and Colts are among those with QB races to watch, and another chance for Travis Hunter acrobatics is never a bad thing.
Stanley Cup Final: Panthers, Oilers break out into major 3rd period brawl amid Florida’s 6-1 win
The Florida Panthers took a 2-1 series lead with a 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night.However, the blowout result came with some additional entertainment halfway through the third period when a major brawl broke out between the two teams involving all 10 players on the ice.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe melee appeared to begin with 9:33 remaining in the third period when Oilers center Trent Frederic cross-checked the Panthers' Sam Bennett, breaking his stick in the process. Florida's A.J. Greer and Edmonton's Mattias Ekholm then mixed it up, followed by the Panthers' Nate Schmidt and Oilers' Connor Brown sparring. Defensemen Dmitry Kulikov and left winger Viktor Arvidsson also joined in fisticuffs.However, the true standouts of this battle were Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. Neither of these combatants went to […]
Be the first to leave a comment