Shotime in LA!
Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles Friday, July 2, 2021, in Anaheim. David Fletcher also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Associated Press Staff Photographer Ashley Landis shares insight into what it’s like to cover generational talent Shohei Ohtani on a regular basis in LA
Crowded photo wells have become the norm in Anaheim (Photo by Ricardo Zapata/LAA)
Shohei Ohtani is shaping up to be one of the most talented baseball players in history. In his short career, he’s already won Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player (BBWAA), Silver Slugger, and the World Baseball Classic MVP Award, just to name a few. He’s a top 10 pitcher, even when he bats in the same inning – which he does regularly. In short, he’s a rock star.
For those of us who frequent the Angels’ photo wells, Ohtani’s brilliance is not lost on us. In fact, it’s very difficult to ignore.
He has a following that spans continents, bringing fans and reporters and photographers from half way around the globe. Members of the Japanese media move to Anaheim during the season with the sole purpose of covering Ohtani’s rise to the top.
I don’t think anyone covering the Angels five years ago would’ve expected to see 30 photographers crammed in to a photo well for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2014.
The appetite for visuals of Ohtani pitching, hitting, sitting in the dugout, warming up, walking across the field, making a face, looking up, looking down, breathing, and anything else we can capture is unprecedented. The world wants to see Shohei.
When Ohtani pitches, I arrive at the ballpark about four hours before game time to set up a remote behind home plate. There’s usually already competition for space, but we work it out to make sure everyone has a spot. Then I head to the third base photo well to mark a shooting position.
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) throws during a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, April 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Ohtani doesn’t typically participate in outdoor batting practice at home, so we don’t get a glimpse of him until pre-game warm ups, when he’s in the bullpen. At Angel Stadium, we are not permitted to photograph over the bullpen, so we mostly use a long lens from the field.
During the game, he pitches and bats, so let’s do the math. Ohtani tends to be up to bat every other inning. If he stayed on the mound for all nine innings, out of the 18 half-innings in the game, he could potentially be on the field for 14. That means that if you are a photographer trying to edit and transmit during the game, you have a very narrow window of opportunity to sit down at your laptop.
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) throws during a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, May 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Luckily, Ohtani doesn’t usually pitch past the sixth inning, so we have a chance to catch up during the seventh inning stretch. Before we know it, the game is over, and we can tackle the backlog.
Typically, I will send 50-100 photos during an Angels game, with about 85% of that being images of Ohtani. Later I will send another 100 or so outtakes. This is a typical workflow for wire photographers currently covering the Angels.
For comparison, I would transmit 20-30 photos of game action during a regular season MLB game in any other stadium, and do 50-60 outtakes. Covering Ohtani is like covering a playoff game.
Still, it is not lost on us that we could be witnessing the early part of the best career in MLB history.
He could be grouped with athletes like Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi, Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, and Tom Brady, and we would be the ones to show the world how it happened.
