Shohei Ohtani’s relationship with journalists has always been somewhat unique.
Even during his high school years, when he represented Japan at the U-18 World Championship in Seoul, reporters were already closely following him. One journalist from the Iwate Nippo newspaper had traveled all the way from Ohtani’s home prefecture to cover the tournament. When Ohtani learned this, he reportedly reacted with surprise.
“You came all the way from Iwate?”
At times he even joked back at reporters, responding to certain questions with playful comments like, “What kind of question is that?”
From the beginning, Ohtani showed both kindness and a sense of humor toward the media.
However, once he joined the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, the amount of attention he received increased dramatically. As one of the most talked-about young players in Japanese baseball, he was interviewed constantly.
It was through these experiences that Ohtani began to notice something.
Not every article reflected his words exactly as he intended them.
Some reporters interpreted his comments differently. Others framed them in ways that changed the tone or meaning of what he had said.
Rather than ignoring this reality, Ohtani chose to observe it.
“I do read articles about myself,” he explained. “But not simply to see what was written about me. I’m more interested in how the writer interpreted what I said, and what advantages they might gain from writing it that way.”
Because the group of journalists covering the Fighters remained relatively consistent, Ohtani gradually learned how each writer approached their stories. Over time, he began adjusting how he communicated depending on who was asking the questions.
Eventually, he arrived at a simple conclusion.
The best strategy is often to say less.
Television footage can be edited. Articles are written through someone else’s interpretation. Managing relationships with the media, he realized, requires both awareness and restraint.
Even early in his career, Ohtani understood that words do not always belong to the person who speaks them.
Sometimes, they belong to the person who writes the story.
Source
This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.
Kadokawa Special Edition: Shohei Ohtani Feature, p.25