People who lack confidence often prepare excuses before they even begin.
A student who doesn’t study enough before a test can later say, “I was too busy.”
An athlete who neglects their equipment can blame poor results on their gear.
In both cases, the responsibility for failure is shifted away from oneself—protecting fragile pride, but preventing real growth.
Shohei Ohtani has taken a completely different approach.
After undergoing elbow surgery in his first season with the Los Angeles Angels, he later chose to have surgery on his left knee in his second season.
Unlike his elbow, the knee issue had been manageable.
It had bothered him occasionally since his days in Japan, but it was not severe enough to completely prevent him from playing.
Still, Ohtani made the decision to fix it.
Not because he couldn’t play—but because he wanted to eliminate any excuse.
“I want to feel good when I play. If I start thinking that my performance might be because of my knee, then I can’t use it as a pure point of reflection.”
For Ohtani, even the possibility of blaming external factors was unacceptable.
If he failed, he wanted the cause to be clear—and entirely his own.
Because only then could he truly improve.
His decision wasn’t just about physical condition.
It was about protecting the integrity of his self-reflection.
Source
This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.
Shohei Ohtani: Baseball Youth II – MLB Edition 2018–2024 Long Interview, p.91