Written by On Monday, July 12th, Major League Baseball started its annual tribute to the best players of the season, or most popular, depending on how you look at it, with its All-Star break. The traditional first day of the break involves a feat of stamina, strength, and hand-eye coordination as select players are invited to participate in the Home Run Derby. This event typically features those players who have the highest home run numbers at the break as they show off for fans and peers to see who can hit the most balls out of, in this case, Coors Field in Colorado. The players compete through three rounds, with the players having the highest totals moving on to subsequent rounds, and the player who is able to hit the most in the final round walks away with a $1,000,000 prize and the title of Derby Champion.
This year, the derby, and the All-Star game itself, played host to one of the most talented players in baseball today, Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is listed as being a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball team, however, on the days he doesn’t pitch, he fills in as the designated hitter, and occasionally an outfielder, for the team, something not done by any player on any current rosters. Ohtani is an incredible athlete, to say the least. In his three years playing with the Angels, he holds a solid pitching record, and an equally impressive batting record (he currently is the Major League home run leader with 33), and shows no signs of slowing down.
As the league leader, Ohtani was selected to compete in this year’s Derby to show the fans and other players just what he could do. While the batters during the Derby are not facing 90+ mile per hour fastballs being thrown at them, they are still required to focus on the batting practice-type of pitches thrown. These pitches are typically slower and more of a “gimme” pitch than what batters see during the regular season as a way to allow them to work on their swing and mechanics, and, in this case, launch 400+ foot “moon shots” for home runs. Even though he is the league leader, Ohtani did not make it out of the first round of the competition losing to Washington Nationals’ left fielder, Juan Soto, in a “swing off” to break a tie.
Ohtani did also go on to compete in the All-Star Game the following day, turning in an impressive starting pitching performance, but a lackluster hitting effort. However, the thing that stood out about his appearance at the All-Star Game festivities was not anything he did on the field, but more about what he did off the field. As part of his appearance in Monday’s Derby, Ohtani received $150,000 in prize money, even though he did not make it out of the initial round. Even at the Major League level, where star players typically earn millions of dollars a year, $150,000 for one day is nothing to sneeze at. What really impressed sports writers, players, and fans alike was the fact that Ohtani, instead of pocketing his winnings, wrote checks to more than a couple dozen members of the Angels’ support staff. Most of the recipients are the folks who make things happen for the team behind the scenes, such as trainers, media relations, and clubhouse staff.
Ohtani’s generosity is certainly noteworthy, especially since it came not from his regular salary, but from prize money he was awarded for participation in the Home Run Derby. This, to me, stands out as an example of the culture Ohtani may have grown up in in Japan and how he is trying to bring some of that into the clubhouse here in America. While his current contract with the Angels will pay him $3-million dollars this year, I am sure an extra $150,000 would have been nice to add to his bank account. Ohtani’s choice to give back to the team that signed him, particularly the members of the support staff, speaks volumes about the caliber of person he is, and should set an example for other athletes to follow. It also sets an example for up-and-coming athletes of every age to recognize that no one is unimportant on a team. While most teams will provide benefits to the entire organization upon winning a championship, such as bonuses or championship rings, for a player to do so in the middle of the season for seemingly no other reason than because he can, says a lot about the caliber of person Ohtani is.
When an organization can recognize everyone who is part of the process of “driving the machine forward,” it creates a level of loyalty that is hard to find. While monetary recognition is always appreciated, even just acknowledging individual efforts, personal events, or team accomplishments goes a long way towards employee engagement. Creating an organizational culture that recognizes employees, even behind-the-scenes employees, will increase overall retention, word-of-mouth marketing related to employee satisfaction, and can increase the number of people who want to come work for the organization. It also shows that no one is better than anyone else, regardless of their title, stature, or pay. This is the type of culture that should be encouraged in any organization, whether it be sports, business, the military, or what-have-you.