"I didn’t understand why they were crying.. I was having fun" - When Shohei Ohtani opened up on why losing didn't affect him unlike old teammates

Growing up, Shohei Ohtani was introduced to sports rather early. His mother, Kayoko, was an amateur badminton player who competed at a national level as a high schooler.

Ohtani's father, Toru, was an amateur baseball player who played in the Japanese Industrial League. He then transitioned to being a coach, teaching him the basics as he grew up.

Ohtani only played baseball on the weekends when he was younger. Not being as committed as those who played during the week, he did not understand the emotions that came with the game. He was taken aback when he saw his teammates frustrated after a tough loss, as reported by Time's Sean Gregory and Karl Vick.

"I didn't understand why they were crying, because I was just having fun. I remember that clearly," said Ohtani.

Ohtani was just out there for his love of the game. He did not commit to the game as hard as some of his other teammates did, which caused them to be more upset when they lost important games.

"I was not practicing hard enough nor serious enough to feel upset about losing," he added.

Years later, that dedication to the game would come. By the time he hit high school, he was one of the most promising baseball players in all of Japan.

Shohei Ohtani believes he would have focused on just pitching if he went to the MLB out of high school

Los Angeles Dodgers Workouts - Shohei Ohtani (Photo via IMAGN)

Coming out of high school, Shohei Ohtani was intent on signing a deal with an MLB team. That was the goal he set for himself when he was younger.

However, he instead signed a deal with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. A reason for this was because they would allow him to both pitch and hit. That was something he was sure he would not be able to do in the United States.

"I would have probably been a pitcher, because most of the teams valued me as a pitcher" said Ohtani.

However, the Los Angeles Angels were okay with him doing both. After signing his contract and debuting in 2018, he has not looked back.

He has become one of the most-feared hitters and a Cy Young candidate when he is not dealing with elbow issues. He has become the face of the sport and has brought a new fanbase to the sport.