If you think you know who the best athlete in the world is, you may want to think again. It could be basketball’s LeBron James, soccer’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky. But the days surrounding Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in Denver, Colorado played Tuesday night -- demonstrated the abilities of Japan’s Shohei Ohtani. A member of the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani is in his fourth baseball season in the U.S. after starting his career in Japan. At the age of 27, Ohtani is the first-ever player selected to pitch and hit in an All-Star Game. The game celebrates the best hitters and the best pitchers of the season. A pitcher starts the action in baseball by trying to throw the ball past a hitter. On Tuesday night, Ohtani opened the game as the first hitter for the American League team. At the bottom of the inning, he pitched against hitters from the National League team. The 2021 season is a little more than halfway done. So far, Ohtani has 33 home runs, the most in all of baseball. A home run is a long hit that counts for at least one “run” in baseball. Ohtani has also pitched 13 times for the Angels this year. He is good at preventing the other team’s hitters from hitting the ball. Last April, in a game against the Chicago White Sox, Ohtani threw a baseball at the speed of 162 kilometers per hour (100 mph). He then hit a baseball that traveled 185 kilometers per hour (115 mph). Baseball experts compare Ohtani to the famous New York Yankee, Babe Ruth. Ruth pitched and hit early in his career. But he is better known for his long home runs in the 1920s and 1930s. Ruth probably could have been the first chosen to both hit and pitch in the baseball All-Star Game, but the event started in 1933 after Ruth had stopped pitching. Baseball’s best players are impressed with Ohtani’s ability to both pitch and hit. Most think doing just one thing is hard enough.
Title: Japan’s Shohei Ohtani Makes History in All-Star Game
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Japans Shohei Ohtani Makes History in All-Star Game' data-article-id='5750'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='6708'>If you think you know who the best athlete in the world is, you may want to think again.</span> <span data-start-time='6708' data-end-time='19771'>It could be basketball’s LeBron James, soccer’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky.</span> <span data-start-time='19771' data-end-time='35750'>But the days surrounding Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in Denver, Colorado played Tuesday night -- demonstrated the abilities of Japan’s Shohei Ohtani.</span> <span data-start-time='35750' data-end-time='47667'>A member of the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani is in his fourth baseball season in the U.S. after starting his career in Japan. </span> <span data-start-time='47667' data-end-time='59146'>At the age of 27, Ohtani is the first-ever player selected to pitch and hit in an All-Star Game.</span> <span data-start-time='59146' data-end-time='64271'>The game celebrates the best hitters and the best pitchers of the season. </span> <span data-start-time='64271' data-end-time='71438'>A pitcher starts the action in baseball by trying to throw the ball past a hitter.</span> <span data-start-time='71438' data-end-time='80167'>On Tuesday night, Ohtani opened the game as the first hitter for the American League team. </span> <span data-start-time='80167' data-end-time='87333'>At the bottom of the inning, he pitched against hitters from the National League team.</span> <span data-start-time='87333' data-end-time='92271'>The 2021 season is a little more than halfway done. </span> <span data-start-time='92271' data-end-time='101542'>So far, Ohtani has 33 home runs, the most in all of baseball. </span> <span data-start-time='101542' data-end-time='108521'>A home run is a long hit that counts for at least one “run” in baseball. </span> <span data-start-time='108521' data-end-time='115417'>Ohtani has also pitched 13 times for the Angels this year. </span> <span data-start-time='115417' data-end-time='121938'>He is good at preventing the other team’s hitters from hitting the ball.</span> <span data-start-time='121938' data-end-time='133063'>Last April, in a game against the Chicago White Sox, Ohtani threw a baseball at the speed of 162 kilometers per hour (100 mph).</span> <span data-start-time='133063' data-end-time='141375'> He then hit a baseball that traveled 185 kilometers per hour (115 mph).</span> <span data-start-time='141375' data-end-time='149667'>Baseball experts compare Ohtani to the famous New York Yankee, Babe Ruth. </span> <span data-start-time='149667' data-end-time='153375'>Ruth pitched and hit early in his career. </span> <span data-start-time='153375' data-end-time='161229'>But he is better known for his long home runs in the 1920s and 1930s. </span> <span data-start-time='161229' data-end-time='177125'>Ruth probably could have been the first chosen to both hit and pitch in the baseball All-Star Game, but the event started in 1933 after Ruth had stopped pitching.</span> <span data-start-time='177125' data-end-time='186063'>Baseball’s best players are impressed with Ohtani’s ability to both pitch and hit. </span> <span data-start-time='186063' data-end-time='191792'>Most think doing just one thing is hard enough.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' 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data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/an_entertainer_who_continuously_tosses_into_the_air_and_catches_a_number_of_objects_so_as_to_keep_at_least_one_in_the_air_while_handling_the_others.wav'><span>an entertainer who continuously tosses into the air and catches a number of objects so as to keep at least one in the air while handling the others</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/a_person_who_is_proficient_in_sports_and_other_forms_of_physical_exercise.wav'><span>a person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/the_basic_unit_of_a_chemical_element.wav'><span>the basic unit of a chemical element</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/the_action_or_process_of_adding_something_to_something_else.wav'><span>the action or process of adding something to something else</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17753 data-hint-location='35750' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/what_baseball_team_does_shohei_ohtani_play_for.wav'>What baseball team does Shohei Ohtani play for?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='The Los Angeles Angels'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/the_los_angeles_dodgers.wav'><span>The Los Angeles Dodgers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/the_los_angeles_angels.wav'><span>The Los Angeles Angels</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/the_new_york_yankees.wav'><span>The New York Yankees</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/the_pittsburgh_pirates.wav'><span>The Pittsburgh Pirates</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17754 data-hint-location='64271' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/a_pitcher_starts_the_action_in_baseball_by_trying_to_throw_the__blank__past_a_hitter.wav'>A pitcher starts the action in baseball by trying to throw the <span class='blank'>ball</span> past a hitter.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='ball'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5204/dolphin.wav'><span>dolphin</span></div><div class='choice' 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