What Shohei Really Said is dedicated to bridging the linguistic and cultural gap between Shohei Ohtani and his global audience. While Ohtani is a once-in-a-century talent on the diamond, his voice is often filtered through layers of poor translation that can sometimes miss the nuance, humor, charm, power, and resonance of his original Japanese.
Shohei Ohtani isn’t just a baseball player; he is a global phenomenon whose words carry the weight of a nation’s pride and an athlete’s unparalleled legacy. When nuances and details are lost in translation, the world loses a piece of the “Sho-Time” story.
We believe that interpreting a talent of this magnitude requires more than just bilingualism—it requires an understanding of the physical and mental mastery of the game. Our goal is to provide that level of elite representation, setting a standard that honors the greatness of the Shohei Ohtani
Our mission is to provide fans with the most accurate, unfiltered, and contextually rich translations of Shohei Ohtani’s interviews, press conferences, and social media presence and critique the poor representation at the current state by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Why Context Matters
There is an argument to be made that Shohei Ohtani is the greatest Japanese person to ever live. He remains the finest talent the sport may have ever produced from the nation who loves and excels at the sport more than anyone else. Therefore his words hold resonance to millions around the world. He may be the greatest baseball and athlete to ever live, and his words should be interpreted responsibly and appropriately. We aim to do that while hoping that the Los Angeles Dodgers hire me as the next interpreter for Shohei Ohtani. Only a special talent can translate and express the physical and mental greatness that is Sho-Time.
What We Offer
- Deep-Dive Translations: Breaking down post-game interviews word-for-word to highlight mistakes lost in live interpretation.
- Cultural Commentary: Explaining the Japanese cultural concepts and baseball terminology that shape Ohtani’s perspective.
- Multilingual Access: Providing content in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean to unite the international baseball community.
- Fact-Based Reporting: Moving past the headlines to focus on the technical and personal insights Ohtani shares about his craft.
Our Story
Founded by Sean T Cannon, a content creator and sports reporter with a passion for the technical side of the game and the art of translation, this project began as a way to give fans a “front-row seat” to the authentic Ohtani experience. With a focus on accuracy and a deep respect for the game’s international stars, we strive to be the definitive resource for Ohtani’s words and the eventual Shohei interpreter.
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
Ludwig Wittgenstein
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