“Dreams are more exciting the harder they are to achieve. That’s my belief.
Most people choose dreams they can almost reach if they try.
I prefer to declare goals that make people say, ‘That’s impossible, isn’t it?’”

These words come from Tsuyoshi Shinjo, who revitalized a struggling team and led it to a second-place finish in his third year as manager of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

In 2020, at the age of 48, Shinjo even challenged himself in a professional baseball tryout.
Although he did not make a comeback, his batting impressed many—including Yu Darvish, who praised his ability to square up professional pitching despite a long absence.

Shinjo has always been known for pursuing what others considered impossible—whether it was his move to Major League Baseball or leading the Fighters to a championship after returning to Japan.

Even when people laughed or doubted him, he would declare his ambitions out loud and continue to chase them.
That relentless spirit is a big part of what makes him so compelling.

Shohei Ohtani greatly admired Shinjo’s attempt at the tryout.

Regardless of the result, Ohtani valued the mindset behind it—
training every day with the unwavering belief: “I will become a professional baseball player.”

He believes that living with such conviction, dedicating oneself fully to a dream, is itself a form of victory.

For Ohtani, it’s the same.

Because he trains with the desire to become the best player in the world,
the process itself becomes meaningful—and above all, enjoyable.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Baseball Youth II: MLB Edition 2018–2024 – Shohei Ohtani Long Interview, p.114