Shohei Ohtani's dad to Dodgers star: Without wife Mamiko, you would not be where you are today

It goes without saying that Shohei Ohtani has continued to wow the baseball world in his first year in Dodger Blue. While Ohtani, the pitcher, is recovering from elbow surgery in 2023, Ohtani, the hitter, has put together a historical season, becoming the first player in MLB history to record at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

On top of starting his own "50-50" club, the 2-time MVP will get his first crack at playoff baseball in the United States as the Dodgers won the National League West division on Thursday.

None of his recent accomplishments have gotten unnoticed by his father, Toru Otani (his son Shohei informally changed the spelling of his last name to "Ohtani" right before he arrived in the United States in 2018), who got a chance to see his son play in-person from time to time in Los Angeles this season.

Right after the Dodgers captured their 11th NL West title in 12 seasons, Toru Otani penned what resembles an open letter to his famous son on Sponichi, a Japanese publication with a following of nearly 80,000 on X, formerly Twitter.

‘Without Mamiko, you would not be where you are today’

In the open letter reported by Sponichi's Naoyuki Yanagihara, Toru Otani congratulated his son on his on-field accomplishments, like starting the 50-50 club, and off-field accomplishments, like marrying now-wife Mamiko Tanaka, which apparently came as a surprise to the rest of the Otani family.

"When we first heard about your marriage last December, we were the most surprised," the post read, in part, on a translated version. "To be honest, until last season when you were single, I would visit your games in-person, chat for a bit and go home from the stadium. After you got married this season, you'd invite us over for tea and we'd get to spend a little more time together, which was a change from before. As a dad, that made me happy."

Toru Otani added in the post that his daughter-in-law Mamiko has been instrumental in helping Shohei perform better on the field.

"I feel like you're able to focus more in games after you got married," the dad's letter read, in translated English. "You seemed to have loosened up a little, rounding up your sharp edges."

He also added that Mamiko helped Shohei get through the Ippei Mizuhara fraud scandal, which shocked the baseball world during the start of the season.

"There was the fraud case before the season started, and it left me feeling very worried," Toru's post read, in translated English. "But as a married man, you have someone by your side that you can talk to anytime, which gave me relief. Without Mamiko, you would not be where you are today."

Toru also gave the couple's dog Dekopin, or Decoy, a shout-out in the heartfelt letter.

"Of course, your beloved dog Dekopin is also a big part of your life," the post read.

English version of the letter

Below is a loose translation of Toru Otani's open letter on Sponichi from Japanese to informal English:

"Shohei, 

Congratulations on winning the division! This season is your first chance to compete for a championship in the Majors.

Even through the TV screen, I could see that you are playing with a greater level of focus compared to the previous seasons.

This year, you reached a major milestone by marrying Mamiko, and I can tell you're now playing baseball with a greater sense of calmness. 

When we first heard about your marriage last December, we were the most surprised. To be honest, until last season when you were single, I would visit your games in-person, chat for a bit and go home from the stadium. After you got married this season, you'd invite us over for tea and we'd get to spend a little more time together, which was a change from before. As a dad, that made me happy.

I feel like you're able to focus more in games after you got married. You seemed to have loosened up a little, rounding up your sharp edges.

There was the fraud case before the season started, and it left me feeling very worried. But as a married man, you have someone by your side that you can talk to anytime, which gave me relief. 

Without Mamiko, you would not be where you are today. Of course, your beloved dog Dekopin is also a big part of your life.

It all started in high school with your dream of playing in the Major Leagues. As I told you when you entered the pros in Japan, "Being able to do what you love as a profession is a wonderful thing." Seeing you dedicate yourself fully to baseball makes me envious as a dad.

In early August, we got to watch three games at Dodger Stadium with the while family. The suite on the fifth level that you reserved for us was impressive, and the view was amazing.

You got a hit right as we arrived, but after that your form fell a little and couldn't get any more hits. I was worried you might start calling me the bad luck charm.

I was also amazed by how packed Dodger Stadium was. I've never heard such loud cheers. There are also Dodgers fans everywhere in Los Angeles. 

Seeing how many fans have accepted you here really filled me with gratitude.

This time, I got to bring my two grandkids: your brother's third-grade son and your sister's three-year-old daughter. It was great for the whole family. The third-grader started playing Little League and he's been improving his play lately. He used to fool around when he played, but now he's taking the sport more seriously. I think he's looking at ‘Uncle Shohei’ a little differently.

There aren't a lot of people with the last name Ohtani in Iwate. It might stand out a little in the future, which worries me, but I'm looking forward to it.

On September 19 against the Miami Marlins, you became the first player to put together a ‘50-50’ season in that game. Before the season opener, I didn't expect you to go this far. 

I thought '40-40' was great enough, but you just kept piling on. However, as you have said many times in press conferences, you care more about the team winning than setting individual records. Ever since you were a child, you never had fun if the team didn't win, even if you had a good game.

Starting this October, I am looking forward to watching you play in your first postseason. And finally, I hope that you make it to the World Series and win it all. 

From the bottom of my heart, I will be rooting for you.

Good luck, Shohei"