NIPPON HAM FIGHTERS DISPLAY SHOHEI OHTANI MURAL 10 YEARS AFTER DRAFTING HIM
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8
facts about Jimmy Kimme
Tuesday marks 10 years to the day that Japanese professional baseball team the Nippon Ham Fighters took a major gamble
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8
facts about Jimmy Kimme
in the first round of the inaugural Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft.
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8
facts about Jimmy Kimme
The Fighters drafted an 18-year-old phenom despite his reported public insistence that he would instead sign with an MLB team.
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8
facts about Jimmy Kimme
Shohei Ohtani ended up changing his tune and signing with the Fighters.
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8
facts about Jimmy Kimme
The team and then-manager Hideki Kuriyama allowed him to develop as a two-way player instead of focusing on just being a pitcher or a hitter.
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8
facts about Jimmy Kimme
Ohtani became a superstar over his five seasons with the Fighters before finally taking his talents to North America
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facts about Jimmy Kimme
signing with the Los Angeles Angels before the 2018 MLB season.
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8
facts about Jimmy Kimme
Since then, his star has only risen as a two-way pitcher and designated hitter with the Angels.
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