Author Jay Paris says message by Angels’ star Shohei Ohtani: ‘dream big and go for it’

Author Jay Paris was in Irvine signing his book about the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani Tuesday. (Photos Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone)

Author Jay Paris was intrigued with Los Angeles Angels’ super star Shohei Ohtani right after the former Japanese baseball sensation signed with the Major League team.

He thought his story would make for a great book.

It became a reality last November when the book Shohei Ohtani, The Amazing Story of Baseball’s Two-Way Japanese Superstar, written by Paris, was published by Sports Publishing in New York.

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Paris came to the Heritage Park Library in Irvine Tuesday to share stories about the popular Angels player, who was rookie of the year last season and is the team’s designated hitter this season, at a book signing with a room of young fans and their parents.

“I saw him on 60 Minutes (TV show) and he was almost this mythical figure who could hit and pitch, the Japanese Babe Ruth if you would, and in addition to that, it was his lifestyle,” Paris said in an interview. “He lived in the dorms as a rookie and he was the highest paid player in Japan and he could live anywhere. He just lived and dreamed baseball.”

Paris was a sportwriter for more than 30 years with the Orange County Register before joining the North County Times and San Diego Tribune covering the San Diego Chargers and had also written books on the Chargers and Los Angeles Rams. The Ohtani book was his latest project.

“I got to follow him (Ohtani) and got to meet him,” Paris said. “There wasn’t a lot of one on one time, they kept him in a pretty good bubble. He always had his translator with him and I hung out with the Japanese (reporters).”

Much of the book is based on accounts and observations of others who followed and knew Ohtani. Former Angel pitcher Mark Langston wrote the foreward.

“When you’re doing a story on somebody, and you don’t have as much access as you would like, you talk to other people, so I talked to other baseball general mangers, other scouts, regular managers and guys who scouted him in Japan, and knew quite a bit about him, certainly more than I did and the more you heard about him, he’s so compelling, and so different than an American player,” Paris said.

Paris cited a few examples.

“Like if he eats sunflower seeds, he will spit them in a cup so the clubhouse guy doesn’t have to come along and sweep up,” Paris said. “If he gets a walk, he will go down the first base line and take his stuff off, folds it and waits for the bat boy and hands it to him. You have to rememeber our National Past-Time is their number one sport, they just love baseball.”

Paris said Ohtani reminded him of former Angel pitching star Nolan Ryan, who he used to see pitch when he was a youngster growing up in Orange. Paris would ride his bike to Angel home games to watching batting practice and games.

“Nobody went to Angels games, except when Nolan (Ryan) pitched,” Paris said. “This guy, it was the same feeling, it was a happening, it was an event.”

Once he decided to write the 140-page book, which also includes some action pictures in the middle, Paris began following Ohtani’s season starting with the exhhibition season.

“It was an up and down season. He got hurt in June and he had to shut it down for 90 days, and there were so many people doubting that he could do it,” Paris said. “He proved you could do it both (pitch and hit). Did he get to pitch the whole year, no, but when he did he was the front-line pitcher and could he hit, yeah, he hit in the middle of the lineup in a good lineup.”

Paris observed how teammates reacted to Ohtani, who he said “left money on the table” to sign with a Major League team in the United States.

“They all absolutely loved him, they all treated him like a kid brother, he’s so agreeable and you can’t help but root for the guy,” Paris said.

“We followed him along and when he got hurt, it was disappointing. But he still got to play, he still got to hit and it was a quick turnaround and he ends up winning the rookie of the year. He’s not pitching this year (because of Tommy John surgery on his elbow, but he is hitting) but he will certainly be back pitching next year and when he comes back, he will only be 25 years old.

“I just found him interesting and compelling and really transformative.”

Paris said he interviewed Ohtani in a couple group interviews and added that Ohtani, who was not aware that Paris was writing the book, reacted positively when he was asked by reporters in Japan what he thought about it.

“It’s been well received, somebody bought the Japanese rights and it’s been translated so they’re selling it in Japan, and they’re selling it at the Angel team store, which is kind of cool,” Paris said.

Those in attendance at the book signing got to hear lots of stories about Ohtani, who hit a home run Tuesday night in the Angels 5-3 victory over the Dodgers. All the youngsters walked away with prizes, including an Ohtani sweatshirt, an Ohtani DVD and some autograped baseballs. Paris also signed copies of the book, which were available for $20.

The book signing kicked off the summer reading program at the Irvine library, according to Vivian Strabala, adult services librarian.

“We love to support local authors so that was wonderful to have Jay being a local author, also the theme of the summer reading is, ‘it’s showtime at the library,’ so getting out to baseball games is definitely a show,” she said. “We have wonderful books here at the Orange County Public Library about baseball and we have some here tonight that patrons can check out.”

Paris, who currently writes for Forbes.com covering the NFL and for MLB.com, said he is enjoying talking about Ohtani. He has been in New York and La Jolla promoting the book and also had interviews on MLB.Com and KTLA-Channel 5.

He had a message to those in attendance Tuesday.

“I think it shows to dream big and go for it,” he said. “He said he liked doing both (hitting and pitching). It was that and the pure joy in which he plays with. He’s always got the smile on his face and the gratitude with which he plays with. He wants to be a good teammate, which you can be in life. You can always be a good teammate.

“That’s why he’s so loved. The other guys (on the team) love him. He hit his first home run, and there was the complete silent treatment. He’s very clear that he wants to be the best player ever, he doesn’t shy away from that. A lot of people want to but don’t put in the work or do what it takes.”

Paris, a long-time Angels fan, said he looks forward to seeing Ohtani back on the mound again.

“I’m glad he’s back, it’s a bummer that he’s not pitching, but it’s cool he still gets to hit,” he said.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com