ESPN's Smith: Ohtani's Language Barrier Hurts MLB

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Los Angeles Angels pitcher and Major League Baseball home run leader Shohei Ohtani is changing the game. It’s not enough for ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who said on “First Take” Monday that the Japanese-born Ohtani’s stardom isn’t ideal for Major League Baseball due to the fact that he uses an interpreter.

"But when you talk about an audience, gravitating to the tube, or to the ballpark to actually watch you, I don't think it helps that the No. 1 face ... needs an interpreter to understand what the hell he's saying," Smith said hours before Ohtani participated in Monday night’s MLB Home Run Derby.

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