Elly De La Cruz was simply chosen for his first All-Star Sport. So what’s the Reds’ celebrity shortstop most wanting ahead to when the very best of the American and Nationwide Leagues collect in Arlington on July 15?
“I am studying Japanese to speak to Shohei,” De La Cruz responded when requested that query on Sunday after being named to the staff. He was, after all, referring to Shohei Ohtani.
Of all of the issues to do at your first All-Star Sport, that is fairly an homage to the Dodgers celebrity, who shall be beginning at DH for the NL staff subsequent week. And the truth that De La Cruz stated it in English, which isn’t even his first language, made it all of the extra spectacular. A 5-tool participant and now a 3-language linguist?
The Dominican native has expressed fascination with the Japanese celebrity earlier than. Final 12 months, when the Reds visited Anaheim and Ohtani was nonetheless with the Angels and landed on second base, De La Cruz jokingly pinched him to ensure the larger-than-life Ohtani was, the truth is, actual.
So now one of many All-Star storylines subsequent week shall be when De La Cruz and Ohtani meet up, each sporting the identical uniform and maybe talking the identical language.