Ohtani among Baseball Digest’s 80 MLB icons in last 80 years

Jul 7, 2022, 12:26 PM | Updated: Jul 8, 2022, 12:27 am

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani stands at the on deck circle during the third in...

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani stands at the on deck circle during the third inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NEW YORK (AP) — It took four seasons for Shohei Ohtani to join the biggest major league stars of the last eight decades.

To commemorate Baseball Digest’s 80th anniversary, the publication selected 80 iconic players essential to telling the story of the game from 1942-2021.

Even though he didn’t arrive in the big leagues from Japan until 2018, the two-way phenom has made such an astounding impact as a hitter AND pitcher that Ohtani was one of 10 active players chosen by a 12-member panel of longtime MLB observers and participants.

The others spotlighted in the July/August issue were Mookie Betts, Miguel Cabrera, Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw, Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols, Max Scherzer, Mike Trout and Justin Verlander.

Ohtani, who turned 28 on July 5, was the AL MVP last year and the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year. No player since Babe Ruth has been such a force both at the plate and on the mound.

Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier in April 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers was picked as the greatest of 30 iconic moments in the magazine’s history.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

3 months ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

3 months ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

3 months ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

3 months ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

3 months ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

3 months ago

Ohtani among Baseball Digest’s 80 MLB icons in last 80 years