'He’s coming to San Francisco'
SEATTLE — Asked who he most wanted to face in his first All-Star Game, Giants starter Alex Cobb had an easy answer: Shohei Ohtani.
Besides being the sport’s biggest star, Cobb and Ohtani are former Angels teammates and offseason training partners.
Entering in the fourth inning of the National League’s eventual 3-2 win Tuesday at T-Mobile Park, Cobb got his wish. Ohtani spoiled a first-pitch curveball and went on to draw a rare walk from the typically pinpoint right-hander.
Those, however, won’t amount to Cobb’s biggest pitches to Ohtani, set to hit free agency this winter, when he could command a contract of $500 million or more.
“I’m already campaigning for him,” Cobb said after his inning of work, stranding Ohtani on third base to escape without allowing a run.
Carefully dancing around possible allegations of tampering, Cobb began his answer by saying, “I don’t know how to answer that question appropriately, honestly.”
But the 35-year-old veteran went on to explain — as if it needed any explanation — what the addition of Ohtani, who was voted into the All-Star Game as a hitter and a pitcher, would mean for the Giants, who this past winter added Aaron Judge as the latest chapter in their failed pursuits of free-agent superstars.
“Whatever you thought Judge would’ve been as the face of the Giants, he would eclipse that with the whole country,” Cobb said. “You look for people to be the face of your franchise, not only as skilled, but off the field who they are.”
Together for only the 2021 season in Anaheim, crossing paths while training at Driveline, Cobb called Ohtani “one of my favorite teammates to play with.”
“I’ve never been around somebody who wants to win more than Shohei,” Cobb said. “I would love to say I want to win as much as anybody. But he will do anything to win. … Just watching in awe of everything he did and how good of a person he is and how humble of a person he is, it makes it really special.”
The Giants, and 29 other teams, are expected to embark in the hottest free-agent pursuit in the sport’s history this winter. But there is, maybe, possibly, a way to jump the line. With Mike Trout ruled out for the next month and the Angels skidding into the All-Star break, could Ohtani’s team consider trading the generational superstar?
“I’d be thrilled if there was some avenue for us to get him at the deadline and sign him long-term,” Cobb said. “But if not at the deadline, then during this offseason.”
Ohtani didn’t pitch this All-Star Game because of a blister on his throwing hand, but Cobb understood he was made for this stage.
He wasn’t surprised that Ohtani attacked the first pitch, with the Japanese star later telling reporters that he was waiting for it.
“So he thought he was gonna hammer it? That’s not surprising,” Cobb said with a laugh. “He’s a showman. He’s made for the spotlight. I figured if I grooved a fastball in there – I’ve seen him put it up in the third deck here as a teammate of his. I didn’t want to see it from the mound. … I was definitely trying to challenge him. I just couldn’t get a very good grip on the ball.”
When Ohtani stepped into the box, Cobb said “he gave me a little wink and a nod.”
More noticeable were the choruses of chants each time Ohtani came to bat, the Seattle crowd pleading in unison for Ohtani to consider them.
“Come-to-Sea-attle!” “Come-to-Sea-attle!”
It was impossible to ignore, particularly from the pitchers mound.
“He’s not coming to Seattle,” Cobb said with a sly smile. “Ichiro’s already got his stamp on here. He needs a new place. He’s coming to San Francisco.”
Doval earns win
The National League ended a decade-long All-Star Game drought, beating the AL for the first time since 2012.
The winning pitcher this year: Giants closer Camilo Doval.
The winning pitcher in 2012: Giants starter Matt Cain.
The World Series winner in 2012: the San Francisco Giants.
The World Series winner this year: Nah, couldn’t be, right?
Doval earned the win in his first All-Star appearance for his work in a scoreless seventh inning.
He threw the six fastest pitches of the night, topping out at 101.7 mph, including three in a strikeout of Julio Rodriguez. In front of Rodriguez’s home crowd chanting, “Ju-Li-O!”, Doval struck out the Mariners budding superstar (and World Baseball Classic teammate of Doval’s) on nothing but fastballs. To end the inning, he served Adley Rutschman a diet of all sliders, getting the Orioles catcher to line out to right on the fourth one.
Doval left the stadium before speaking to reporters. Before the game, he said he was going to take it easy.
Cobb, 35, relishes first Classic
Inside the visitor’s clubhouse behind the third-base dugout, Cobb took note of his locker. It shared something with that of Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel, a fellow veteran who earned the save in the NL’s win: extra space.
“One of the respect things is you get an empty locker next to you if you’ve got more service time,” Cobb said. “I feel like always represents that you’re a little bit old. But at the same time I feel like a rookie experiencing it all again.”
At 35 years old, Cobb is only a few months older than Kimbrel and the third-most senior All-Star, a few weeks separating him and J.D. Martinez and Kenley Jansen. The trio has a combined 22 All-Star appearances, whereas this was Cobb’s first time at a Midsummer Classic, a meaningful honor in his 12th major-league season.
He walked the red carpet at Pike Place Market on Tuesday morning with his wife, Kelly, and their two daughters, Chloe and Everly. They accompanied him Monday night, taking in the home run derby from in front of the third-base dugout. While other players began to migrate back to their hotel, Cobb stayed until the very end.
“It was just cool. It’s surreal,” Cobb said. “You watch that competition your whole life from the house on TV. Everybody started clearing out and going home and we were some of the last ones there. I had the whole third base line to myself, watching the home run derby.”
Cobb struck up a friendship with the Nationals’ young right-hander Josiah Gray. While they shared a mutual connection through Driveline, they had never met but became quick catch partners. Gray, 25, was also a first-time All-Star.
“He’s really cool to chop it up with,” Gray said. “Just bouncing things off each other, asking him his mentality pitching wise. … His story, 35-year-old first-time All-Star, speaks to his resilience and the durability he’s had in this game. Couldn’t be happier for a nicer guy that I’m becoming friends with.”
Source: The Mercury News
