<figure id="attachment_404991" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404991" style="width: 1418px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="3dbe90bb"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/db448d6b855160d93fb0d8b73ad31d44.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-404991" class="wp-caption-text">Ohtani responds to the cheers of the crowd celebrating his &#8220;50-50&#8221; achievement. With the cheers on his side, he has risen to become a world champion!</figcaption></figure>
<h2> The unprecedented &#8220;50-50&#8221; mark was achieved!</h2>
<p> That single swing made history.</p>
<p> On September 20, Shohei Ohtani, batting fifth in the seventh inning against the Marlins, hit a sweet slider thrown by the opposing pitcher with the count 1-2. The stadium was filled with thunderous applause for the hero as he hit a beautiful curveball into the left field stands for the 50th time this season.</p>
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<p> Otani became the first player in the 150-year history of Major League Baseball to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases. After the game, he reflected on his accomplishment, saying, &#8220;This is a day I will never forget.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> I was obviously conscious of how to hit for home runs when I was batting. It was especially noticeable after I was forced into a two-strike count, and I swung uppishly from the bottom to the top. He was also refining his power by swinging with a cricket bat, which is 1.5 times heavier than a baseball bat,&#8221; said sportswriter Nachi Tomonari.</span></span></p>
<p> Another secret is the sharp increase in stolen bases.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> He has been studying under first base coach Clayton McCullough this season, and thanks to him, his success rate in stealing bases has increased. Thanks to that, his stolen base success rate has improved from 72% in his time with the Angels to 94%. The difficulty of achieving a 50-50 record is unexplainable. It is dozens of times more difficult than becoming prime minister. Even if it takes half a century, I don&#8217;t think it will ever be rewritten.</span></span></p>
<p> Otani has become a living legend. What kind of performance will he show next season, when he will make a &#8220;two-fisted comeback&#8221;?</p>
<p> From the January 3, 7, and 10, 2025 issue of &#8220;FRIDAY</p>
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 With only one week left in the year 2024, FRIDAY takes a look back at some of the most famous sports moments that brought tears to the eyes of all of Japan. We will play back those dramatic moments! This time, we will be looking at Shohei Ohtani's 50-50...

2024 Famous Sports Scenes from All Over Japan! Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 accomplishment on September 20 vs. the Marlins.

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